Unintentional Affair
by cancercute
Summary: It takes a spark to keep a relationship alive. But what happens when it's a spark of hate that kicked an unintentional affair to a start?  As Kari starts living with Tk in his mansion, worst case scenario is that they're off to bite each other's heads.
1. I Am So Damned

**Chapter I**

**I AM SO DAMNED**

_If I could write you a song,_

_And make you fall in love,_

_I would already have you up under my arm_

_I used to pull all my tricks,_

_I hope that you like this_

_But you probably won't,_

_You think you're cooler than me_

Just as he parked his blue glossy Lamborghini in the spacious garage, he cut off the engine and removed the keys from the ignition with one swift move. He stepped out of the vehicle in his white-black-blue Nike Air and pressed a button to lock the car before tossing the keys playfully up the air and caught them on his palms. A small basketball hung as a keychain on the metallic green keyholder along with his house keys.

The twenty three year old Takeru "Tk" Takaishi just got home from their 2nd game in the Japanese Basketball League playoffs with a proud grin from the victorious win and a sore muscle from the game. His team, the Hitachi SunRisers won two out of two games which was a good start to retain their title as champions. Being part of a national basketball team at a young age was a living dream for the athlete. He dreamed of this when he was five years old - when he first started watching basketball games on TV. And ever since then, he worked his way hard to reach the top. He's been in the varsity team since elementary and with all the good luck, a scout happens to notice him in one of his games during college. And now, it got him to this. A spot in a national team. Famous. Rich. And not to mention, very handsome which adds up to the very sexy athletic body - well built torso and nicely formed biceps and abs. All in all, he was indeed lucky.

He carried his sports bag and walked pass the neatly decorated garden to the doorstep of his beautifully huge mansion. It was that kind of house that sprung out home magazines with a modernized natural design from the veranda up to the interior of the whole place. One of his maids in housekeeping opened the front door for him.

"Good evening sir," she greeted.

Tk responded with a nod. And just upon entering his house, his phone rang from his pocket with the screen displaying _MOM calling.._

"Hello Mom," he answered as he dropped his sports bag to hand it to the maid.

_Hello Tk, honey. I'm sorry to bother you after your game. I know you're tired and all but I need you to pick someone up at the airport right now._

"Right now? Okay, sure. It's no problem. I'll just drop him off at your place," he said.

_He's actually a she Tk. And she'll be staying with you at your house for a while. Please make her comfortable and welcome okay?_

"What? Mom, who is—" he tried to cut in but his mom spoke quickly, refusing to give him a chance to complain or disobey.

_She's my friend's daughter and a very close family friend of ours. She's from Los Angeles and I think the company she works for assigned her here. So please, let her stay with you and spare her from spending so much on a place to stay. And by the way, her name is Kari. She's about ten inches shorter than you. She'll be arriving in an hour. Sorry to bring this up now, but it's a sudden plan. I'm counting on you honey, alright? Be safe and congrats on your game. I still have a meeting. Take care._

"Mom. Wait, I-" and then she hung up.

"Perfect," he murmured. He was going to let some stranger stay with him at his place for God knows how long. He wasn't used to having guests around his mansion, well, except for the usual visiting of his brother Matt and a few good friends who often comes around and stays the night. But this was a she..

.. and he'll just have to deal with it.

_Well, it isn't as if we'd see each other everyday. She's got her job and I've got mine too. _He thought.

Pushing the thought away, he went straight to his room. It was wide, with a queen-sized bed in the middle and a plasma screen across it. Everything inside looked so expensive – from the neat dark blue carpet to the furniture, and from appliances to every little detail of the area. It was the kind of room that MTV Cribs would feature.

His walk-in closet was amazingly crazy. All his black, white, and grey suits were lined up in one corner while his sportswears were on the other. There was a rack dedicated for all his shoes, which were mostly Nike, and for formal wear, Roberto Cavalli and Giorgio Armani. In the middle of the walk-in closet was a display of all his accessories- wallets, watches, sunglasses, sports wristbands, etc- locked in a glass. Obviously, he was the kind of man every woman talked about, who was at one point in the front page of the sports section of the newspaper.

With his insane blonde hair, heart-melting sapphire eyes, and an astounding handsome demeanor plus his one sided sexy grin, he got included in Forbes Top 20 Hottest Men of the Year.

And much to every female's luck, Tk Takaishi is a bachelor.

After that short conversation with his mom, he had no idea how the woman looks. Try to imagine searching for someone in the airport without even knowing what she looked like. All he knows is her name and that she's ten inches shorter. Such a very specific description, he might add.

But nonetheless, he entered the bathroom, grabbed a towel and cleansed himself before leaving for the airport.

* * *

><p>Kari's plane just landed after a ten-hour flight from Los Angeles, California to Japan. And after that exhausting trip, she couldn't feel a lot less busy than she is right now. She was already talking on her iphone with her new editor of the Vogue Magazine after receiving six miscalls. Working as one of the top contributors of the magazine did involve a lot of calls, meetings, reports and assignments. And now, she's assigned to work in Vogue Japan – doing a little bit of every piece, taking snapshots of models here and there while writing articles for the fashion magazine.<p>

And when fashion is the subject, Kari Kamiya was never at the back row. She was an expert, a veteran in style, glamour and appearance. Just because she isn't the model in most of the pages doesn't mean she looked half as bad. Walking along the airport with a pack of people in the arrival and still be the one looking all chicly different from the rest was a normal thing for her. She tends to overdress the people around even though it was the usual.

After passing the immigration and the inspection of passports, she caught the attention of a porter and gave him the number of her baggage.

"Yes, yes, I already settled that. I'm starting off tomorro-" she said through the phone while sitting down in a waiting area.

"Ok yeah, bye." After pressing the end call button, there was another incoming call.

"Hello? Oh hi, how are you? I just landed a while ago.." She trailed off again with another friend.

Being a busy person never hinders her to look young and fabulous. Who says style and comfort couldn't co-exist? Because during that long hour flight, no one can still understand how she managed to get through it wearing those four-inch Chanel heels which she matched with a pair of tight Armani skinny jeans and a bright green flared Donna Karen top. She layered it with a denim jacket and accented with a few accessories like necklace and earrings. It was as if she was some au courant Hollywood artist spotted on Sunset Boulevard.

Her straight, shoulder length chestnut hair framed her delicate face yet superior features. She had a good shape for a twenty three year old that makes an excellent job in her career.

She was still talking on her iphone when the porter came with all three large baggage. Consequentially, she stood up, carrying her black Prada handbag and walked out the exit.

She stayed on the side of the street, popping her head up trying to look someone that matched her mom's description of a tall blonde named Tk. She already bid good-bye to the caller and hastily put her phone in her bag.

"Ugh where is that Takaishi guy? He could've at least come earlier if he was going to pick up a guest. I can't believe he's making me wait at a time like this at night," she complained to herself, scanning around the street and the driveways. She checked her Hamilton wristwatch and returned to propping her head up for any sign of the unknown.

"Ehem," someone behind her cleared her throat loud enough to catch her attention. She whirled around and came face to face with a tall blonde that exactly matched the descriptions given to her.

"At least come earlier, eh? I've been waiting here for almost an hour and you complain without even waiting for five minutes?" he instantly retorted back, seemingly amused and surprised at the comment he just heard.

"Let me guess, you're Tk Takaishi," she sarcastically said.

"Oh and let me guess, you're Kari Kamiya," he replied in a mocking girly and cheerful way. "Of course I'm Tk! Haven't you seen me in the newspaper? Or magazine? Most girls would have fainted just to know they're living with me."

"Oh, you're famous?" she put on a fake shocked expression and tried to slightly insult him. "Well, I suppose not knowing you didn't hurt your precious ego. And I'm sorry if I'm not most girls," she gave him that mean girl look.

"You're unbelievable." He laughed and tossed his head up to look at the sky, and then back at her again.

"I'm unbelievable? Is that supposed to be an insult? Well I'm sorry, my complaint a while ago wasn't for you to hear," she shot back, raising a perfect eyebrow and crossing her arms on her chest.

"Oh so was it for all the people around here to hear? Are you suddenly talking shit about me behind my back?"

"Hey, I don't even know you so why should I start talking about you? Can you just give it a rest? I'm tired from my flight, just so you know." She spoke with a mean expression. She just met this man two minutes ago and she already hates him.

"Listen you crazy woman, I just came from an exhausting game and risked exposing myself in this crowded place just to pick you up. So if you start complaining again, I swear I'm gonna let you sleep in the doghouse."

"Oh, I'm so scared," she mocked. "I don't care anyway. If you don't want me at your place then fine. Why didn't you just say so? I'm gonna get my own place to stay."

"Good. Because I don't want some crazy woman living in my—"

He was cut off by the ringing of his phone which he immediately retrieved from his pocket.

"Hello?" he sounded a little bit angry as he answered and shot Kari a deathly glare.

_Hello Tk. Have you picked her up?_

"Yeah, she's right here Mom," he spoke, clenching his jaw as he watched her smile insultingly at him.

_Well, make her comfortable and safe okay. I'll be visiting you maybe in a couple of days. Make her feel at home. I trust you on this._

"Yeah, yeah. Sure. Bye," he instantly closed his phone and didn't let his mom speak for he's already gotten the idea.

"You were saying?" she asked in a triumphant smile.

"Let's go," he rolled his eyes and unlocked the car in a pissed reaction. Kari chuckled at the blonde's expression.

The porter who was standing behind Kari all the while they were bickering put her baggage in the trunk and was given tip. The two stepped in the vehicle and drove off home, minding their own business and trying not to start a quarrel. It was quiet through the ride home as Kari looked out the windowpane, refusing to ever see the blonde's face. While he, on the other hand, focused himself on the road and from time to time, glanced over her direction.

Uncomfortable with the silence between them, he turned the stereo on playing punk rock music from his favorite band, Avenged Sevenfold. Although he did prefer the boy bands type of music like N Sync, Backstreet Boys, etc., punk rock was one of his favorites too.

"Ugh! What is that godaweful noise?" she asked in irritation, expecting another unpleasant response from him.

"Noise? That happens to be my favorite band. Do have problems with that?"

"Yeah I do. It's hurting my ears. If you're not gonna change the station, then at least, lower it down a bit if you're not deaf."

"Hey! Is that what you always do? Insult and harass men?"

"I didn't harass you, moron. I didn't even touch you," she shot back.

"Which you were obviously dying to do," he smirked in a proud expression.

"Excuse me. I wouldn't get in a 1-foot radius of you. Even if I had to, it'd be only for slapping and ripping your head off."

"Ouch, violent aren't you? No wonder men don't come near you. You're a lunatic. I'd pity the brave bastard who'll marry you someday," he laughed his ass off at the comment he threw at her, making her purse her lips in anger, holding off that temper before she spontaneously combusts.

"Dammit. Damn you, Takaishi. What is your problem with me?"

"What's my problem with you? My problem is you. You complain a lot Kamiya. I don't know why, but it's annoying, really," he stated in a matter-of-fact tone.

"Oh, I'm sorry Mr. I'm so famous and self-centered moron. It's just that I could have introduced myself properly a while ago if you didn't act like a conceited jerk," she explained.

"Jerk eh? Do you know how lucky you are right now? Seating in the passenger's seat of my Lamborghini? Having to live with me for god knows how long? For even talking to me?"

"See? See? There you go again. You and your humongous ugly ego! Are you really doing that on purpose or is it just in-borne? 'Cause if I'm annoying, you're a hell lot infuriating."

"Whatever. I'm dropping the subject," he said, watching the road and not paying attention to the brunette beside him.

"Good," she replied coldly.

"Fine," he retorted back.

"Fine," she said louder, wanting to have the last word and not letting her pride down against him.

And after that insignificant argument, silence enveloped between them. Neither of the two spoke, both preoccupied in their own thoughts of mentally bashing the other. Did it really have to be this way? Why can't both of them just call it quits? They had an exhausting day before meeting each other and now that they did meet, it was all tiresome. For Tk, he'd rather do a hundred push-ups and sit-ups than argue with her. It wore all of his energy down the drain, not to mention his dignity and ego. The woman damn knows how to fight back, and that… honestly, against his pride and standards, impressed him.

While she, on the other hand, thinks he's an overly conceited moron and would rather literally sleep in the doghouse any day than hear his distasteful voice insult her. And thus, experiencing the night's incident, she'd come to a tortured conclusion that the stay with him would be a classic wild ride to hell.

* * *

><p>Kari was unpacking her things from her luggage the moment she stepped inside the guest room. It was the room beside Tk's, on the right in the second floor of his house. It, too, had a medium sized walk-in closet and a five star hotel-like bathroom. Much to her unwanted surprise, it wasn't the kind of place she was thinking of. It was far better. But of course, she'd keep that good judgment to herself, as she's already suffered enough narcissistic people for one night.<p>

After putting all her clothes in the closet, shoes and all sorts of footwear on the rack, bags in the cabinet and magazines on the shelf, she picked out some fresh clothes to change. Just as she removed her top, she heard her name being called loudly by the last person she wanted to hear it from.

"Hey Kamiya! Dinner's downstairs. Hurry up if you don't wanna starve," Tk deliberately barged in her room impulsively and saw her bare flawless shaped back. He was surprised for a moment and realization hit him when he heard her scream.

"Get the fuck out you pervert!" She hurriedly covered her torso with her shirt and threw him a pair of her flip flops. Luckily, he was able to dodge it as he closed the door from the outside. "Have you even heard of knocking?"

She angrily changed into her comfy short shorts and purple and white striped tank top, and slipped on her Old Navy flip flops. Irately, she tied her hair in a ponytail and cursed to herself.

"Relax lady. As if I saw something I liked," he retorted back behind the door while smirking to himself. "I didn't even enjoy it for a least bit. Don't get so embarrassed with your unattractive body."

"How many times do you want me to curse you Takaishi?" she forcefully opened the door and came face to face him. "Do you even know what privacy is or you just butt in someone else's business whenever you like?"

"It's my house," he stated bluntly with a grin, making those things with his eyes and lips – which in a split of second made him look all so sexy. Although, on the contrary if you ask the brunette's opinion.

She narrowed her eyes at him accusingly. "And what's next? Break in when I'm taking a shower?"

"I clearly can't see why not," he laughed.

"God Takaishi! You're the most conceited perverted moron I've ever met! And I just hate you!" She stormed off with a pair of blue eyes following her back. Tk, who was entirely amused at her reactions, trailed behind her and was about to say something.

"Don't," she interjected. "Just shut up."

"If I'd shut up, you won't have someone to talk to," he reasoned out.

"I'd rather talk to a rabbit than hear your pathetic voice," she shot.

"C'mon Kamiya," he threw his hands up in the air. "Do you really think I'm pathetic?" He blocked her way as he moved to face her.

"And a jackass too," she smiled and stepped aside, making her way to the dining table.

"Stupid brunette," he murmured as he followed her to the table and sat.

"I heard what you said, dumbass," she said while putting food on her plate.

"Oh yeah? I thought you were deaf," Tk retorted.

"Maybe something's wrong with your brain for thinking otherwise. After all, you are a blonde," she laughed lightly to herself with the joke she just made.

"Yeah yeah yeah. I'm shutting you out."

"Fine. I'm ignoring you."

Dinner passed them in a surprisingly quiet manner. It went through successfully without anyone getting hurt… luckily. And thankfully, neither of them tried to stab the other with their forks. Kari was getting the hang of ignoring him, making it look like as if he didn't exist.

Both didn't utter a single word after they had eaten and Tk directly went upstairs to his room without saying anything. Kari on the other hand, stayed in the kitchen, browsing for some delights in the fridge while chatting cheerfully with one of the maids. She took a bowl of strawberries, grabbed the whip cream and started to devour the delicious taste.

"Is he always like that? So arrogant.. insulting.. aggravating?"

"Uhm, not really ma'am. He usually jokes and laughs when he has friends over. Though, I've never seen him bring a girl even once. We never saw him take one home," told Dorothy, the maid, while washing the dishes.

"Oh, please, call me Kari," she insisted. "It's not a surprise though. What kind of girl would even want to be taken to his house?"

"But you should see the mob of girls that crowd him when he comes home. There are times when he's seen in public and they just swarm over him. Even the girls here on the neighborhood stops by."

"I bet he likes that," she laughed while taking a bite of her strawberry. _The guy just loves himself and the attention._

After a few moments of conversations and strawberry bites, Kari ascended the stairs and walked to her bedroom door. She was about to turn the knob when she noticed a figure standing by the opened terrace. She knew it was Tk but still, she checked just to be sure and find out what he was doing.

She passed by the sliding glass doors and faced Tk's bare shirtless back as he stood there on the balcony, watching the unmoving night and taking in some cold fresh air. His lone moment was suddenly interrupted when the brunette tripped on something which she considered to be her own feet and blurted "Oh shit."

Tk turned around to see Kari, holding the chair for support.

"What now? You tripped when you saw my naked back?" he asked.

"I was hoping I'd be there to witness you if you were dramatically committing suicide from the terrace of your 2nd floor," she snapped.

As he fully turned his body on her direction, she was caught off guard by the sight of his lean six packs. He was gorgeously tan and had a definitely sexy body. It captured her for a moment there, but blinked to regain herself and avoid looking so dumb, staring in surprise at the body she never thought he had.

Although this lasted for an instant, he noticed the way her expression showed when she saw this and it made him do that one-sided crooked smile in self-satisfaction.

"Like what you see?" he queried proudly like how he always does.

"Pity, such a disastrous view," she replied sourly and turned her back to him. It was useless anyway – trying to pick an argument with him. He was the least deserving person of her precious attention, and she wasn't at any case, interested with whatever verbal abuse he had in mind.

"Don't worry. I plan on keeping you entertained for the rest of your stay," he said out loud, in a vain attempt of hiding his amusement. He smiled to himself as he watched her nicely shaped figure disappear through her bedroom door.

She exhaled all the stress and irritation she took all in one night and sighed, telling herself beforehand the fact she knew and was surely to be proven for the rest of the coming days. "I am so damned."

_See I got you, _

_All figured out, _

_You need everyone's eyes just to feel seen _

_Girl, your so vain, _

_You probably think that this song is about you _

_Don't you? Don't you?_

**Cancercute ©opyright**

* * *

><p><strong>[AUTHOR's NOTE]<strong>

**Date Posted:** o6.o2.11

**Hello again! This is my second Takari fic and if you noticed, it's a little different from the usual story and I've changed their personalities. If Tk is the sweet sensitive guy and Kari's the nice innocent girl, well, it's totally different here. As you see, they're always fighting and Tk has this huge arrogant demeanor while Kari's this sarcastic fashionista. But I really hope you like it. Send in some reviews so I'll know what you think.**

**Now Playing: ****Cooler than Me **by** Mike Posner**

**See you in the next installment. Ciao!**

**P.S. I'm really truly sorry for making you wait for **INTIMACY** to be updated. But i will finish it someday.. i just don't know when. You all can hate me with my procrastination and impulsiveness. But it's **ON HAITUS** for now.**


	2. Karma's A Bitch, So Am I

**Chapter II**

**KARMA'S A BITCH, SO AM I**

_My name is Keri, I'm so very_

_Fly oh my is a little bit scary_

_Boys wanna marry, looking at my deri_

_And you can stare but if you touch it imma beri_

One thing great about mornings is that there's always something to look forward to in the day, or perhaps a chance to start anew. But as we all know, it's not bad luck when we finally realize that every pleasant morning has a touch of madness that makes the day a little more delightful in so many different ways.

"Good morning sexy," Tk whistled as Kari came out of the front door. He was holding a ball between his hand and hip while standing on his mini basketball court across the garage. It was his daily morning exercise – shooting hoops and doing warm-ups.

"Hahaha," Kari mocked, descending the small stairs with her silver Jimmy Choo pumps. She was clad in her usual get up: a pair of tight Levi's skinny jeans and a blue v-neck Juicy Couture tank top all under an elbow length silver jacket… and ready to go to work.

"What? You think I'm kidding?" He gestured with his hands when Kari gave him a stern what-do-you-think look. "Alright, fine. I was kidding." He laughed.

"Ugh," she rolled her eyes as she walked down the pavement, straight to the gates.

"Hey, do you want a ride?" He called up to her - who paused by the gate - offering her his service. "I'm serious."

"I can take a cab, train, bus.. whatever."

"Eew, public transpo," he grimaced, showing a disgusted expression.

"Well-off snob," she murmured to herself. "I'm a big girl. I know my way around, FYI," she explained confidently in a way that makes her seem independent.

"Yeah, I know you're big," he made it sound entirely different from what she meant. "You know your way around the fridge, finishing my bowl of strawberries." He laughed.

That remark totally ticked off the brunette, and yet, she remained herself composed by walking away from him and slamming the gate shut when she got outside. Just imagining him with that fake arrogant smile really gets on to her nerves and makes her want to break something, especially his neck.

"Damn that asshole," she muttered and hailed a taxi cab.

When she stood at the door of her new office building, she breathed in and positively walked inside directly to the front desk. Kari inquired at one of the women behind the desk who provided her with answers. Later on, she was on the elevator, on her way to the 12th floor to the editors' work area.

Apart from the fact that she wanted to be the new editor-in-chief, it ran into her spine the excitement she felt as she thought of the upcoming events that were about to unfold in her new life here in Japan. She was so accustomed to the L.A. life – seeing stars in Hollywood, being there to cover the red carpet affair, having the latest high-end fashion updates from Beverly Hills. This time, it's all gonna be entirely different. And different is definitely gonna be a big challenge.

As the elevator doors opened, she stepped out only to bump into a tall heavy figure which towered her petite frame. His grande sized Starbucks espresso spilled over his purple button up shirt and the piles of paper he was carrying all fell to the floor.

"Oh my god. I am so sorry," Kari apologized and started picking up the pieces of paper. "I wasn't looking and I know I'm so careless. Again, I really apologize," she started rambling and handed over the pieces of paper to the man. By the time she meet his gaze, the first thing she saw was his deep mysteriously dark eyes and the perfectly shaped dimple on the left corner of his gorgeous lips.

She staggered, and for a while found herself in difficulty of speaking. Damn, he was just fine. And when she says fine, she really means it.

The moment seems to be in slow motion. It's like when things happen to be so good, and you get to feel that amazing atmosphere, then suddenly, everything falls back into reality. Yes, it was that certain moment. And when he extended his hand to hers, she just stared at it like it was some kind of disease until she heard the sound of his voice.

"No, no, it's okay," he let out a small laugh to lighten up the weirdness going on around them. "I guess you must be new around here. I'm Luke, the assistant editor of Vogue. And you are?"

"Oh, I'm Kari. Kari Kamiya. A pleasure to meet you," she shook his hands and felt the rough masculine touch of his skin against hers.

"Ah, you must the new contributor. From L.A. right?"

"Yes, that's me."

"Well good thing you bumped into me. I'll show you around the building and introduce you to the editors and staff. But let me change my shirt first," he smiled that perfect sexy twitch of the lips and went to the direction of his office. With that, Kari was left out of breath, trying to stabilize the flow of air in her lungs and keep herself composed by not insanely hyperventilating.

She hurried to the nearest restroom and fixed herself, not want to look brainlessly beautiful beside Luke. She wanted to look smart, casual and sexy on her first day in office. Because in fashion, it's always the first impression that lasts.

She reapplied her make up and took a couple of breaths. It wasn't her fault that her new boss's associate was out-of-this-world handsome. And maybe if she's lucky, he might turn out to be an eligible bachelor. The coffee incident a while ago was at least a moment of something that happened good after arriving in Japan. God knows what she did to deserve living in the same house as Mr. Professional Basketball player slash MVP slash pervert slash douchebag.

After a while, she met with Luke at the place where they had bumped into each other and he started showing her around the building, touring her on every floor and introducing the important people in the job. Being a top contributor of one of the best selling fashion magazine, she got to know some of the top models, designers, photographers and the like.

And yes, she managed to withstand that three and a half hour of tour in her amazing high heels without a sweat, though she can't deny that her legs were dying to make her fall on the floor. Taking the elevator back to the 12th floor, Luke showed her to her work area and introduced Sora, a tall auburn haired woman, whose desk was just across hers.

"Kari, this is Sora. She's my secretary and feel free to ask her anything. My office is just by the corner if you need me," he smiled again entrusted the brunette to Sora before leaving them. "So I'll leave her to you. Have a nice day."

So the two women had a small conversation and Sora showed her the things she needs to do, the dates of the meetings, the appointments with certain people, etc. They started off well and had a good connection with each other. Sora, apparently was a few years older than her and has a great sense of humor which Kari enjoyed.

"He's hot right?" the red head asked.

"Who?" Kari showed a little defensiveness on her expression.

"Luke, of course. Who else?"

"Well… Yeah, he is," she admitted. "Care to share some details about him?"

"There's only one thing you need to know girl… He's single."

It was already late in the evening, and Kari was the only left fixing her desk in the office. Almost everyone finished early except her because she was still adjusting to the new progression of her work. All the lights were closed except on her workspace and the ones inside Luke's seen through the glass above his office door. By the time she was done, she noticed Luke go out and became aware of her presence.

"Still trying to get accustomed of the new place?" his voice was husky and if she wasn't imagining, really sexy at the quiet dimness of the room.

"Yes. And you were working late?" she replied, grabbing her bag and faced him seeing his handsome features closely face to face.

"Yeah, some calls to people. Why don't I drop you home?" he politely offered as they walked side by side, with their swaying arms touching at some certain moments.

"You don't really have to."

"No, it's okay. I insist. Besides, it's good to have company in the car," he said.

"Alright," she agreed. They talked while they headed to the parking lot, shared experiences, laughed and closed the space between them. He was easy to talk to, fun and enjoyable which she found really comfortable with.

"I used to play tennis when I wasn't so busy with work," he shared as they got in his Ferrari.

"Really? You don't look like an athlete," she commented with a laugh.

"So you're single?" he suddenly asked.

She raised an eyebrow and took a moment before she answered. "Hmm. Yeah I am.. You?" although she knew the answer to that, she just wanted to actually hear it from him.

"How about you guess."

"I'd like to believe you're single."

"Why so?"

"Just because…"

* * *

><p>When she arrived home, she was relieved that the blonde devil wasn't there yet. She couldn't stand the sound of his ugly voice insulting her again.<p>

She ate dinner alone and decided to take a dip in the swimming pool. It was just outside the dining area, separated by glass sliding doors in the middle of a wide colorful garden. Taking a night swim would perhaps be relaxing so she grabbed her red bikini and went in.

The water was warm and it eased her feeling. She laid her back on the swimming floaters and closed her eyes…

He saw Luke again. Those dark penetrating eyes, messy hair, gorgeous smile.. his dimples.. everything. She couldn't believe someone like him could exist. And for a woman to have him as his superior, she'd love her job from the moment she steps in the door of Vogue Japan Agency. She imagined his strong handsome features close to hers. His hands, touching her skin.. His manly Calvin Klein perfume.. Oh so sexy.. the curve of his lips, touching her collarbone…

And then she heard a whistle, making her jolt up and open her eyes in surprise, falling to the water with a splash.

The first thing she saw was a messy blonde hair, and then Tk's laughing face. He was on his jersey shorts, topless with a full view of his beautiful undying abs. He didn't look like he had a tiring game as he had so much energy left to insult her.

"You're hilarious Kamiya. I gotta hand it to ya. Jokes like you never grow old."

"Ugh, whatever pervert," she got out of the pool and snatched her towel, covering her whole body. He let out a whistle again while watching her dripping wet body covered with a very short towel.

"What? Never seen a woman's body before?" she teased, arching an eyebrow.

"Not an ugly one," he smirked and tried to prevent his laugh from looking so obvious.

She walked furiously up to him and poked his chest. "You are a lame fat-assed basketball player. You suck." With that, she pushed him to the pool and he fell in it with a huge splash.

"What do you want to say to me now loser?" she bent and faced him in a triumphant expression. Wasting no time at all, Tk quickly grabbed her arm and pulled her down to the pool with him. Her towel got removed and she was once again wet, in her bikini, with Tk holding her bare waist while she held on his shoulder after merging in the water.

"You ugly bastard," she insulted him while rubbing her face with her hands, removing the droplets of water on her face.

"What?" he said tauntingly, smirking, trapping her between the wall of the pool and his muscular body. She looked really pissed and was about to throw a string of profanities to him when she felt his fingers on the band of her bikini bottom. He was playing with it, touching the side of the garment, attempting to slide it down… Her eyes flared and she pierced her look through his eyes intensely. She was furious.

Then he let her go and moved back away from her with a laugh. "Chill Kamiya. I'm just playin' with ya."

"God, if only I could just beat you up," she voiced out in a tone ready to kill somebody as she got out of the pool.

"Sure, I love hating you too," he was really amused with her. He watched her grab another clean towel by the table and dried herself with it before going back inside the house, ignoring to whatever insulting expression he's putting on to her.

* * *

><p>Everyone knows that payback is a bitch, but when someone messes with Kari Kamiya, it's even bitchier. And nobody ever gets away with it. Let's just say it's payback time, cause now, on the main streets of Tokyo, a brunette is spotted on the move, driving a blue Lamborghini with a notorious smile on her face.<p>

"Let's just see how Mr. Famous with Hoops handles it without his baby," she laughed to herself and stopped the car in the parking lot of her new office. She stepped out with her black three and a half gladiator heels and ramped on to the main door, locking the car with a press of the key.

Before making her way to the elevator up to the 12th floor, she purchased a venti café latte. While on her way up, she heard her phone ring in her silver Kenneth Cole bag and grabbed to see who was calling. And behold, the name appeared on the screen like it was some virus destroying her property.

"Hello," she greeted so cheerfully.

"_Where's my damn car you lunatic?_" Tk shouted from the other line.

"Ugh, such rude greetings you have there darling," she did her best to stop bursting into giggles.

"_Darling my ass Kamiya. Just tell me where you are and let me grab my keys."_

"Too bad. I'm at work honey. Looks like you'll be taking a cab. Au revoir ma cheri. Bisou bisou," she teased in French as she slightly laughed and ended the call without waiting for him to say another word. Sweet revenge.

By the time she arrived in her work area, piles of paper were stacked on her desk and everything was due tomorrow. She needed to check the designers needed for the specific line of clothing, have their numbers, arrange meetings and all the other needs. Looks like her revenge backfired.

"Good morning Kari."

"Oh, hey. Good morning Sora. Wow, a lot of stuff to do on the first day," she said as she took a seat.

"I know," she laughed. "You can do it. You're good," she smiled and gone off to her business.

She sat there, checking lists of what clothing trends need to be published for that month, making phone calls and arrangements with stylists and designers, arranging reservations for the venue of Fashion Week of Fall collections and the likes. Plus, she noted her assignments as journalist to write commendable articles for the issue.

It was hell of a work for her first day, but what can she expect in her career? She was the kind of woman who held her job like a title, does justice to being a fashion journalist with the ten thousand outfits racked in her closet. And she loves it. Who doesn't love fashion anyway?

Since she was young, all she wanted to do was work in the fashion world. It was something that amazed her so much - how little pieces of things can turn into magnificent work of art and style. The colors, designs, trends, styles and everything about it make her glow and full of life. Now, she was living the dream… and she doesn't have any idea what more could she want.

Through the whole nine hours of work she did, by the end of the day, she was exhausted. She put her things in order before snatching her bag and walked her way to the elevator. She pressed the arrow down and the door opened for her. When she was inside, the door started to close automatically. But before it finally could, a hand reached in between the doors and the man made his way inside the elevator just in time.

"I was hoping to catch you," Luke told her.

"Oh. Well if I knew, I could have slowed down my pace," she replied.

"Do you want to grab dinner first?"

She was about to answer yes when her phone rand loudly for her to be interrupted. With a curious and pissed expression, she took her phone and read his name on the screen again.

"Hello?" she answered, rolling her eyes. Her back was facing Luke so he wouldn't know how annoyed she looked right now.

"_I need a lift. Now."_ Tk demanded on the other line.

"Fine," she answered back and closed her phone. "I'd really love to have dinner but I have an errand to attend to. Maybe next time," she said in hopes for a next time.

"It's okay. I'll be looking forward to it then," he smiled just as the elevator doors opened. "After you, beautiful."

Kari walked out and waved bye as they separated in the parking lot. She got in Tk's Lamborghini and drove to the direction she never knew.

"Where am I suppose to pick you up huh?" Kari shouted from the other line.

"_I already told you. Grand Sports Stadium at 65 Hans Jui Street. Can't you follow a simple goddamned instruction?"_

"Oh, I'm sorry your highness! It's just that I'm not your stinking personal driver!"

"_Who stole my car in the first place Miss I'm-a-big-girl-I-know-my-way-around?"_

"That's what you get for messing with me," she screeched through the phone while she drove, looking for the address he told her.

"_What? Can't be mature enough to handle that?"_

"Can't you be mature enough to stop insulting me?"

"_You better get your ass here quickly and if anything happens to my car –"_

She shut her phone and tossed it inside her bag. If that's how he treats her, she wouldn't have even bothered to pick him up this evening. She speeded down the street and finally found the place she was looking for. Carefully, she reversed the car and parked it near the lamp post. While doing so, she bumped against it as it made a light _thud_.

"Shit," she muttered to herself and adjusted her park. After that, she cut the engine, grabbed the keys and her bag and walked to the gate of the Grand Stadium where she guessed the blonde always trains for their next game.

She peeped inside the place just so she was at the right place before making a grand entrance. When she spotted the stupid blonde, her eyes narrowed in displeasure and with all of her guts, she swaggered in the gate and crossed the court toward him.

With the attention-grabbing sound of her three-inch gladiator heels on the floor, everyone inside looked at her direction with awe. Every eye was on hers but her gaze was locked solely at a certain blonde she'd love to kill. Clad in her skin tight jeans, red flared tube top and leather jacket, with a clinging Kenneth Cole bag on her left arm, no one could ever stand looking away from that magnificent sight.

When she finally came face to face with the blonde, she extended her right arm and dropped the keys to him.

"Here are your damn keys Takaishi," she spat.

"Catchy. I thought you're gonna give me a speech after ramping down the court. Is that the best you can do to flaunt?" he asked, wiping the sweat on his body.

Did I mention that he was topless? Exposing his tan shiny perfect abs..

"How about you get your ass moving so I can go home?" she said in an impatient tone.

"Chill darling," he teased, using the same nickname she gave him that morning.

"Darling my perfect ass Takaishi. Move it!"

He laughed and put on a green sleeveless Nike sport top and picked up his bag. He bid good-bye to his teammates and walked out the stadium with the brunette.

"Let's go home, cheri," he laughed and put his arm around her shoulders.

"Eew," she complained. "Get your humungous arm off me. For all I know it's full of sweaty germs and bacteria."

"Keep whining Kamiya," he took off his arm around her and laughed. By the time they reached the parking lot, he noticed at the posterior end of his Lamborghini was a small scratch. And he shot Kari with a deathly glare.

"What did you do to my car?" he asked, restraining himself from going berserk.

"I hit the lamp post okay. But it's just a freakin' tiny scratch. You won't even notice it unless you completely stare at it."

"Do you know how much this baby costs? No you don't! This is a first edition Murcielago LP 640 Lamborghini with a 6496 cc engine, a top speed of 340km/hr and original paint! From Italy! And you fuckin' bumped it in a goddamned lamp post," he explained in a tone of anger.

"Stop complaining like a child. Can't be mature enough to handle that, huh?" she insulted and opened the door in the passenger's seat, getting in.

"How do you think I can get over with what you did?" he spoke in aggravation and got in the car, slamming the door shut. "I myself never got my car a flat tire, a scratch or any of that matter in the past three years of owning this baby. And you.. for the one time you used it, wrecked it!"

"You're over reacting," she replied while putting on her seatbelt.

"I'm overreacting?" he grabbed his seatbelt too and angrily locked it and started the engine. "You're a clumsy woman who can't take care of a car for one day!"

"That's what you get for being an insulting, perverted, and arrogant jerk! Don't blame everything on me," she crossed her arms.

"Don't blame everything on me," he mocked in a pissed girly voice. "Bitch," he muttered while staring at the road, driving fast to release the anger he held.

"What did you just call me?" she snapped.

"I called you a bitch. Is something wrong with that?" he said in a matter of fact.

"How dare you!"

"What? You gonna hit me now? Cause if you do, we'll end up dead in the middle of the road."

She gathered all of her to refrain herself from attacking the blonde. "Watch your words Takaishi. One of these days I swear you will regret fighting with me."

_Don't hate me coz I'm beautiful_

_Don't hate me coz I'm beautiful_

_Doing the pretty girl rock rock rock_

_Do the pretty girl rock rock rock_

_Do the pretty girl rock rock rock_

_All my ladies do the pretty girl rock rock rock_

**Cancercute ©opyright**

* * *

><p><strong>[Author's Note]<strong>

**Hi again guys! Thank you very much to the reviewers of my "opening" chapter, but I forgot to warn you guys that this fic is **rated M**. So it'll have a LOT of profanities and well.. sex. It's no "Intimacy" **_**(since I've noticed how much people really adored that fic beyond my expectation)**_** but I'm writing this because I love to write. I'm exploring other sides of Takari so I hope you like it. You've been warned! So to those who don't really like graphic stories, you know what this contains. **

**Now Playing: Pretty Girl Rock **by **Keri Hilson**

**And sorry I just updated now. College's so hectic. I'm scared that I might fail accounting. -_-**


	3. Dance, Drink and Drive

**Chapter III**

**DANCE, DRINK and DRIVE**

_I got your back boy_

_We were high, we were low _

_But I promise I will never let you go _

_Said I got I got I got I got your back boy _

_I got I got I got I got your back boy_

Just beside Vogue Japan Agency, Luke and Kari were taking an afternoon coffee break in The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf. He had an American espresso on his table while she had her caffe latte. After a whole lot of work that morning, and the infinite fight with a certain blonde, her day couldn't get more exhausting.

"What do you say you come with us tomorrow night at 99 Encore Club. Some of the people at the office are coming," Luke invited.

"Will I be welcome?"

"Of course you are. They're glad to have you."

"In that case, count me in," she smiled.

They continued their conversation as they got to know each other, exchange ideas and share experiences. They told each other fragments about their past and their hopes in the future. It lasted for an hour before they finally went back to the office to work again.

"Are you coming tomorrow night Sora?" the brunette asked her officemate.

"I'm definitely going. You should come too. It's a good start to know some of the great people around here. Those who actually know how to have fun and not just stick their noses to fashion magazines," she stated in an exciting way. "Plus, it's a Friday night."

"True," she said more to herself and seated on her chair, faced her laptop to finish the article she was suppose to write for their October issue.

After a while, the editor-in-chief called a meeting for the editors and contributors of the magazine. They all gathered in the conference room, seated at the side of an endlessly long table with Yuri, the editor-in-chief in front of them. She pulled down the screen and turned on the projector.

"Okay everyone. Since it's a month and a half away from the release of our October issue, I'd like you all to prepare yourselves for this year's Fall Collection. Mark your calendars everyone. All articles, interviews, photos and etc should be passed by the third week of September. We will have the Fall Fashion show on the second week of September. I have the list of designers, models, celebrities and other people needed to be consulted for this issue. Focus on the trend we will set. It'll be chic, couture and fresh. We need something new, a scoop of the latest on everything – trends, clothes, make-up, celebrity gossips."

"I will be assigning each one of you a person to interview or write about or whatever you have in mind as long as it's exciting. We need juicy details everyone," Yuri said.

As Kari was seating in front of her, at the very first row, Yuri started off with her assignments.

"Kamiya, you will be interviewing Tk Takaishi, shooting guard of Hitachi SunRisers…"

The brunette was stunned, surprised to what her editor has given her. And after what she said, everything she heard was a blur on the background. She's supposed to interview Takaishi! The stupid, arrogant, bastard of a blonde! Her housemate! Her worse enemy! She doubted if she was ever gonna accomplish her work.

_What have I got myself into? _She thought to herself. And after Yuri assigned everyone their work, she snapped back to reality.

"I want the juiciest of all the information you can get. Find out what's happening with their lives. Details people, we need details."

"Uhm, excuse me," Kari interjected. "As far as I know, Vogue has already written about Mr. Takaishi in the previous issue," she tried to escape from the reality she was pulled into and at least, try to separate her personal life from work.

"Yes we did. But that was a quarter of a page. It barely even said anything about him. So I need you to make it interesting this time. Find out what's going on with his life. After all, he's in the top 20 of Forbes' hottest bachelor."

And that was it. No escaping this time. Out of all people she could have interviewed, asked about their lives, dug into the dirtiest and most scandalous secrets, it had to be him.

In a short while, Yuri further discussed the work they need to do before the publishing of the issue and the things needed to be done before the Fashion show, but Kari lost eagerness. Her attention wasn't there and the feeling of looking forward to a big event in her work was gone. She was gonna hate this. Working with the blonde will get her nowhere and probably, in the worse of things, get her fired.

She crossed her fingers by the end of the meeting.

"I can't believe I'm doing an article about Takaishi!" she voiced out in an i-can't-get-over-this tone.

"I know. You're so lucky," Sora stated.

Kari looked at her with disbelief and surprise.

"Lucky? I can't believe I'm interviewing that bastard," she threw her hands up in the air in exasperation.

"You talk as if you really know the guy," Sora said with a laugh. The brunette only looked at her and sighed. Whatever.

"Yeah you're right. I don't even know him," she told herself.

And she doesn't need to know more. Because what she sees in him right now, is more than enough.

After office hours, since she hasn't had the chance to steal Tk's Lamborghini this time, she went directly to the train station. She took a ticket and waited for the train to arrive. Once she got in the train, she took out her ipod and listened to music while waiting to stop in her destination. That's what she hated in Japan, the commuting. Back in L.A., the company of Vogue offers her a car which she uses daily as a form of gift for being one of the top outstanding writers/contributor in their magazine. Now, even though she's on the position of being a top contributor in Vogue Japan, she couldn't get any perks because it works differently on different countries. Plus, after the tiring ride from work, she'd have to face the monster once she gets home.

By the time she arrived at her stop, she got down and hailed a cab. She arrived home at almost eight o'clock.

She entered the house and surprisingly found Tk having dinner. Normally, it's always she who arrives earlier.

"What happened to you? Got attacked by a monster?" Tk noted her late coming.

She was about to open her mouth and spit some more insulting comments at him but decided not to do so. It would just tire her even more and she told herself she's more mature than arguing with a mentally retarded blonde lunatic.

She completely ignored his statement, walked to the dining table and pulled herself a chair.

"Or did you get lost on your way home?" he asked in sheer amusement. He was finished with his food and drank his glass of water.

Kari looked at him, raised her eyebrow and then totally snubbed him.

"Oh, so you're giving me the silent treatment?" he laughed. "Good luck with that. I heard you get rancid saliva for doing that kind of shit." He then got off his chair, took an apple from the counter and was on his way upstairs.

"What the hell is your problem Takaishi?"

"I don't have problems with you Kamiya. Just love the way you react. So feisty," he grinned and went upstairs.

After eating dinner, Kari went to her room, changed clothes and took a shower. How the hell was she ever gonna accomplish her assigned task if they can't even have a conversation together? That is, without trying to strangle each other's neck.

This was a work of utter impossibility!

Her phone rang after she changed into clean clothes. She took her phone and went outside to the balcony to get some fresh night air. The screen said _Mom calling…_

"Hello Mom," she greeted.

_Hi honey. Sorry I haven't called you after your arrival. It's been a busy week. How are you with Tk?_

_If I had a chance, I would've took a taxi the moment I met him in the airport_. "It's great. How are you?"

"_I'm fine, thanks for asking. It's good for you to be staying there. You'd spend less for everything. Is he making you comfortable? You should thank Nancy for that. She talked Tk to let you stay at his place."_

"Yeah, it's comfortable in here. Makes me feel at home," she faked her cheerful voice.

"_That's good dear. Nancy and I'll visit you there sometime. So how's work?"_

"It's pretty good. I've got nice colleagues and work's stable so far."

"_Have you gone about Tokyo yet? Has Tk shown you around?"_

"Uhm no, but it's oka—"

"_Wonderful! That means we can all go together. I'll find some time for that—"_

"Mom! Mom, it's okay. Maybe you guys are busy, and maybe Tk is too. It's not really necessary."

"_Oh don't be such spoilsport. It'll be fun. We'll all enjoy it."_

Kari frowned on the other line. "Fine."

"_You'll see.. Okay, that's all for now. Just call if you need anything. Bye dear."_

"Bye mom." She bid and pressed the red button. She sighed and watched the city lights of Tokyo from the balcony.

* * *

><p>Friday night came quick Kari was just finishing up the last piece of her work before going home and getting ready for a night out. For all she knows, she deserves this. She needed a break. From work, from adjusting to Tokyo life, and most of all from Tk.<p>

"Sora, can I hitch a ride with you later?" she asked the redhead who was also preparing to go home.

"Sure. What time do I pick you up?"

"How about I go to your house instead? What's your address again?"

"I'll text you about it. I'm kinda in a hurry. See you later Kari," she bid.

"Alright. Bye Sor!"

She went back home to get ready. Since she was early, it was a relief to find Tk not at home. So she prepared herself for her first night out in Tokyo.

Grabbing the towel on the rack, she stepped in the shower and cleansed herself.

Once she was out, she applied her lavender scented lotion, blow dried her hair and took off her party clothes from the rack in her closet. She laid them all on her bed, deciding if she has chosen a flattering outfit. She chose to wear a tube top dress which reached down midthigh. It was the color of midnight blue and it left her back bare with only the crisscrossing of thin ribbons keeping the dress in place. It was simple, yet chic and sexy. She faced her dresser and applied make up on - eyeliner on the lower eyelids, navy blue eyeshadow above her eyes, light blush on her cheeks and pink lipstick on her lips. She put on her silver hoop earrings and then finally put on her silver four-inch gladiator heels. After grabbing the necessary things she needed to put in her pouch, she took one last look at the full body mirror, smiled and was ready to go.

On her way down the stairs, she received an unwanted greeting.

"So, where you out to looking so hideous?" Tk noticed, drinking from his water bottle with a smirk on the corner of his lips.

"What's it to you asshole?" she shot back as she reached the floor.

He shrugged his shoulders and smiled so annoyingly playful. "Just wanted to piss you off."

Kari stomped out of his sight, not letting him try and ruin her night and walked towards the door.

"Don't try to break your heels while commuting!" he shouted and laughed.

The brunette hailed a cab and said Sora's address. After a while, she arrived at her friend's house and pressed the doorbell twice. She was greeted by Sora who looked ready as ever in her red spaghetti strapped flared top, tight jeans and black wedge heels. The two took Sora's Honda Civic and drove off to 99 Encore Club.

When they arrived, the place was packed with people. It was dim inside the place with only the colorful spotlights illuminating the room. Music blared through the speakers and rhythm flowed through the beat as people made their way to the dancefloor. There were also some lonesome people on the bar drinking martinis to themselves.

They spotted some of the people from the agency at a private corner sitting on the couches with drinks on the table.

"Hey guys," Sora greeted as they made themselves comfortable on the space they picked.

Everyone welcomed the two girls who just arrived and introduced the others who haven't met Kari.

"Kari, this is Mimi," Luke pointed to the beautiful tall girl with wavy honey-colored hair. "Joe," the guy who had dark hair and eyes with glasses. "And Zoe," the short girl with long blonde hair and minty green eyes.

They started drinking and had fun conversations with each other.

"So Kari, how's L.A.?" Mimi asked.

"It's great. I mean, well, its the sunshine state and bikini season is everyday. It's easier to go to places cause I had my own car there. Here, i have to take the train. Vogue there is as busy as always yet, there's always countless of parties. I've gone to several red carpets, fashion shows and met hollywood actors and actresses everywhere."

"Wow. That's amazing. So why did you transfer here in Japan?" Zoe asked.

"I was born here and my mom wanted me to come back. So I asked my boss if he could transfer me here in Vogue Japan. I loved my job, you see."

"Well that's good. Cause we love having you here," Luke said and smiled at the brunette.

Kari smiled back, took her shot glass and drank from it.

Suddenly, the song shifted into Katie Bataglia's Body Shot.

"Ohh, i love this song," Kari spoke.

"Do you wanna dance?" Luke asked.

"Thought you'd never asked."

The two went down the dancefloor and started moving their body against the beat of the song. Kari moved her hips in motion with Luke's, grinding her body against his. She had her back to his and his hands wound up to her waist, slowly going down her thigh. And she liked it.

Heat radiated from their body and the thirst triggered them to drink more. Further drinking and dancing were made after hours and hours of enjoyment. Kari and Luke were still dancing their life off with bottles of alcohol in their hands until they got tipsy.

"You alright?" Luke asked, encircling his hands around her waist.

"Of course!" she replied and took another gulp from her bottle.

Putting back their bottles in the bar, they did more dancing as their minds became more irrational with the effect of alcohol. The tightly packed dancefloor made it have narrower spaces to move in and closer positions with their partners. Kari pressed her body against Luke's and he responded by wandering his hands from her waist to her thighs, holding her closer to him. She led him into the darker corner of the room, away from the dancefloor and from their companions' eyes.

"I'm having the night of my life!" she tends to say whatever's in her mind when she's drunk.

"Me too," he breathed to her face, as they were face to face with each other. He lied his back to the wall and Kari was closer than ever to him, her chest against his and hands were in the pocket of his jeans.

She smiled, stared into his eyes.

Along her laughter, he caught sight of her inviting lips and in a split second, after she laughed and looked at him, he captured her lips into his.

At first she was surprised, but responded to his actions. Their lips moved against each other in a slow motion, discovering that raging sensation in them.

Luke pulled away sensing the need to breathe.

"Kari, i need to tell you something," he started off. "You're beautiful, smart, fun.. you're easy to be around with. And I like you. But i think you should know that... I like guys too."

And apparently, she isn't the only one who speaks her mind when drunk.

"Ohh," Kari was dumbfounded. "Uhm, i think i need to go the ladies' room."

Quickly, she looked for the restroom, opened the door of an empty cubicle and vomited. She puked out the nasty feeling inside her and her head throbbed like hell.

Sora found her and helped the poor drunken girl. She pulled her hair up and waited for her to release everything the pits of her stomach. After that, she offered a bottled of water which Kari used to gargle.

"Shit. I don't know if I'm drunk or disgusted for kissing a bisexual guy," she wiped her mouth and held on to Sora, not feeling the ground beneath her.

"I think it's both. And girl, you need to get your ass home. You're too drunk."

The brunette, who was already clean, clung to Sora who was trying to reach for Kari's ringing phone.

She skeptically looked at the screen that says _Tk Takaishi calling..._

"Hello?" Sora answered.

"Hello?" Then there was a pause. "Kari?"

"Uhm, no. This is Sora, her friend. But i think she needs to get home. She's already drunk here and i don't know where to take her."

"Stay there and look out for her. I'll pick her up in a while. What bar are you in again?"

"99 Encore Club. Okay."

"Thanks. Bye."

Sora guided her back to the couches where their other colleagues are. Kari was already complaining how sick she was feeling while she closed her eyes and rested against Sora.

"She really did make most of her Friday night," Joe laughed.

Luke and Kari were the only ones who were really intoxicated and the others were still sane. Laughters and conversations still flowed around for a while.

After a few moments, Tk arrived in the club and spotted Kari.

"Hi, I'm Tk and I'm here to take Kari home," he excused himself when he went over to their table.

All of them just stared at him, keeping in check if this was real or if the hallucinogens were taking its effect on them.

"I'm the one who called her phone, and i think Sora answered."

"Ooh, that's me," Sora spoke as reality came into her. "You mean, you're Tk Takaishi? As in Tk from Hitachi SunRisers? As in the basketball player?"

"Uh.. yeah."

And they still stared at him like fools for a minute or two. "So uhm, can you hand her over?"

"Oh, yeah, right. Sorry," Sora pulled Kari and guided her to Tk who put his arms around her waist and her arm on his shoulder.

"What are you doing here?" Kari said in a spiteful tone as she managed to recognize him.

"I'm taking you home. And stop arguing," he adjusted her position and swung her bag on his shoulders. _God, I can't believe I'm doing this in public. She's not getting away with this. She owes me big._

"Thanks for everything," Tk bid her friends before going out. Some people noticed him, yet he kept hiding his face from the crowd. A few stared, making sure it was really Tk Takaishi and he cursed to himself with the act he's doing.

He made it out the club without any riot and hurriedly went to his car.

"You owe me bigtime Kamiya," he said through greeted teeth while assisting her in the passenger's seat.

"I didn't tell you to come pick me up, did I?" she argued.

"You want me to leave you here? Cause i can do that without feeling bad."

She knitted her eyebrows at him. "Whatever."

Then he shut closed the door and went to the other side of the car. He got in and started the engine, driving all the way back home.

"Why the hell did you even pick me up!" she started to bicker with him again.

"Just because you're drunk tonight Kamiya doesn't mean I'll be nice to you."

"You're not answering my question," she snapped. "Oh, i know! Maybe you actually care. I didn't know that a monster like you could be capable of feeling concerned."

"I am not concerned! It's just that my mother is gonna kill me if she finds out I'm not making you feel at home. For all i care, i can just leave you here in the middle of nowhere, drunk and let you find your way back. Now shut up cause you're irritating."

"Whatever asshole," she replied back and rested her head against the window.

She really loathed him as much to make her scream profanities in her head against him. He didn't need to be a hero in front of everybody and show-off his stupid self saving a drunken girl in the bar. For all she believed, he was there just for show. To let the magazines say something good about him without seeing the ugly bastard of him inside his house.

"Pathetic loser," she mumbled quietly.

"What did you say?" he heard her say something.

"Nothing," she snapped.

He snorted and whispered, "Lunatic."

After a few while, she realized something after she kept on seeing something on the side mirror.

"Why is that black SUV following us? It did for the last 10 minutes," she pondered out loud.

Tk looked at the rearview mirror and speeded up when he realized who it was.

"Shit it's the paparazzi."

"Oh wow! is being followed by the paparazzi. How flattering," Kari mocked.

"Quit the crap Kamiya, I'm serious."

The blonde pressed the accelerator and speeded up the road. He drove insanely, overtaking as many cars as possible until he reached almost 90km/hr.

"What the hell are you doing moron?" Kari complained, putting on the seatbelt quickly.

"I'm trying to get away from those freaks, isn't it obvious?"

"Shit!" she cursed as she felt something rise from her stomach. "Shit shit shit!"

"What now?" he panicked as he watched the black SUV at the rearview mirror coming closer. He intensely stepped on the gas pedal as if it's going to break. 100 km/hr.

"Stop the car!" Kari said, wrapping her arms around her stomach holding it in.

"What? Are you out of your mind?"

"I'm gonna throw up dumbass!"

He looked at her with an expression priceless than a ring from Tiffany's.

"Can't you hold it in?" The SUV was coming closer despite the fact that the pointer in his speedometer was gonna snap any minute.

"I said stop. the fucking. car!" she shouted in rage and Tk immediately pulled the breaks in the middle of the street.

She opened the door, quickly tied up her hair, popped her head out and vomited on the ground.

"Darn it!" Tk looked behind and found the black SUV parked at their rear. Other vehicles from behind blew their horns, complaining about the sudden stop.

Kari wiped her mouth and breathed in, lied to her back and rested her head. And just in time, two men came closer to Kari's side of the car.

"Excuse me, Mr. Takaishi. Who is this girl with you?" asked the paparazzi, the one holding the videocam wherein Tk avoided the question while the other man took photos with his camera. "Where were you out? Does she live with you? What's her name?"

Tk ignored all the questions and avoided facing the video camera. "I don't think it's any of your business."

"Uhm, excuse me gentlemen," Kari interrupted and without further notice, vomited again. But this time, on the shoes of the videocamera man.

Tk groaned and rubbed his face with his palms in embarrassment.

"Shit, I'm so sorry. Will you excuse me?" she asked and the man moved his feet away. Kari gargled a bottle of water and spit it on the ground. Tk tried to push back the smile that was about to turn into a laugh. She closed the door and Tk speeded away.

Wiping her lips clean with tissue, she groaned. "God!"

Tk bolted out a laugh. "That was hilarious! A woman like you is embarrassing. But whatever, you owe me thrice."

"What? What are you talking about?" she groaned in her seat, leaning her throbbing head to the window.

"One, for the damage you did to my car. Two for taking you home and three, for embarrassing me in front of the paparazzi."

"I don't owe you anything. My head hurts so shut up."

* * *

><p>They arrived home safely with Kari asleep and Tk looking annoyed at how can just sleep so easily with the happenings that took place moments ago. He was now troubled how he's gonna ever bring her to her bed. Well, he can just leave her sleeping in the car anyway.<p>

"Damn you woman," he murmured to himself as he looked at the sleeping brunette beside him. He got out of the car and opened the door of the passenger's seat. He scooped her into his arms and was shocked how light she was. Kari woke up to the shift of movement she felt.

"Where am I?" Her position sank into her mind. "What are you doing? Put me down."

"Do you want me to drop you?"

"Dammit Takaishi. I'm not kidding. I can walk to the door myself."

He put her down and watched her crisscrossed steps toward the main door. He tried to hide his laugh while watching her struggle to grab something to hold her balance. When she reached the door, she turned the knob.

"Ugh! Where's the key?"

He smirked and walked toward her, unlocking the door.

"I'm not taking the risk. You might break something with your clumsiness," he insulted and took her again, carrying her bridal style.

"Uggh! I told you I can walk," she argued.

"I'm not taking chances," he replied walking up the stairs. "And stop being a bitch about it."

"What did you call me?"

"You heard me right Kamiya. Unless you are deaf."

"I am not deaf you moron!"

Tk opened the door to Kari's room.

"I can't believe I'm even making a conversation with a drunken lunatic," he spoke more to himself than to the brunette and dropped her to her bed. He was dragged down with her weight, making them face to face with each other. Too close for comfort and only millimeters away from touching each other's face.

She gazed directly at his ocean blue eyes, very magnetic and seductive.

All he saw were her warm chocolate eyes, perfect for the cold night breeze.

All that could be heard was their breathing, as the moment froze in time. She could hear and feel his breath. And so could he.

"Eew," Tk spoke and that brought them back to reality. "You smell like beer." He pulled himself away and walked out the door with a smirk.

_Keep my swagger, keep it looking good for ya _

_Keep it looking hood for ya _

_Shawty if you don't know _

_I got I got I got I got your back boy_

**Cancercute ©opyright**

* * *

><p><strong>[AUTHOR's NOTE]<strong>

**Date Posted: **o8.17.11

**So, how'd you like it so far? Please let me know watch think. I'm open to critics but I don't like flamers. Bear with me for the updates coz my life in college is so screwed. Also, I'd like to give a shout out to these inspiring people who boosted up my awesomeness and became one of the reasons why I continue writing. ****Vallant****:** _to so far the most loyal reader I have, thank you for once again being here to join in my journey as I write this Takari fic. Frankly, you're the best reviewer I had and I don't know what's in me to be so worthy of your very honest and supportive reviews. Thanks a lot! _**Elite Beauty:**_thank you for the compliments and yes, this is very OOC. I love how I recreate the characters and mold them into the personalities of my liking, but I hope you like it too. And to answer your last question, I'm really sorry but I'm focusing more on Takari. I don't think I'm ready to go the next level of creating a complex character-plot driven fic. _**Xanpluto****: **_so how's your reaction with the way Luke turned out? Lol. Thanks for the review! _**The Alpha phoenix****:** _thanks! I hope the comedy side into it isn't so corny. Lol. _**DayDreaming0f y0u:**_ thank you very much for the review and yes, I know.. the sexual tension is just so sexy (I've ran out of adjectives! :D) expect more sexiness to come! _

**Thank you all guys and I hope I'd still be seeing you in chapter 4! For now, ciao! :D**

**Now Playing: Got your back **by **T.I. ft. Keri Hilson**


	4. Ask Me Anything

**CHAPTER IV**

**ASK ME ANYTHING**

_Sunday morning rain is falling_

_Steal some covers, share some skin_

_Clouds shrouding us in moments unforgettable_

_You twist to fit the mold that I am in_

Two weeks has passed since Kari's experience of a drunken night. The thing between her and Luke was never clarified but it was obvious that she didn't want to have a headstart on having a relationship with someone bisexual. Plus, being her superior, it would be weird if both of them dated. So as much as possible, she stayed out of his way and kept things between them professional. He was her boss and she was his associate. And she should respect that. Too bad though, if he wasn't also interested in the same sex, he could have been hot as hell. Well, things have their way of working out.

"I can't believe you Kamiya. One night. One night and you made my life a piece of shit," complained Tk as he searched through the channel of the plasma screen in the living room.

It was an early Sunday morning, meaning both of them were free from work yet would soon feel very stressed for being with each other inside the house for the whole 24 hours.

"What did I do now, huh?" Kari snapped back as she organized some article she was typing on her MacBook.

"You had to put me hot on the media list because of that Friday night. Do you know how many times that video of me in the car and you puking your guts out has to be played on Entertainment Tonight?"

"Ooohhh that one," she laughed. "At least you're the media's target. You'd love the attention." She rolled her eyes.

"On the contrary Kamiya, I don't. I had four games in two weeks and those stupid reporters, media, whatever crap they're called keep pestering me asking for an interview. Do you know how tiring that is?"

"Well good for you. You deserve it anyway. For being an asshole," she stated in a matter of fact tone. "Oh and those aren't the only interviews you'll get. You have one from me. I need to interview you for Vogue."

"What? Another piece of shit again?" he complained.

"Hey you bastard! Vogue isn't cheap and so is my writing. So if you think what a hell of a journalist I am, you better think a thousand times before you answer my questions, okay!"

"Pfft. Whatever."

"It covers a three page of the damn magazine you idiot! And people are gonna read it."

"I know. Cause it's all about me." He smirked.

"No. Because I wrote it."

He snorted. "Whatever Kamiya. Like anybody would be interested of the author."

It was really irritating how someone like him could be so arrogant and annoying. Even though he has a reason to really be arrogant doesn't mean he has to be and shove it to her face. She damn well knows how rich, famous and talented he is even though she doesn't like considering it. It's just so obnoxious of him to be so full of himself.

"Oh, you still owe me for that scratch on my Lamborghini," he reminded.

"What do you want me to do? Buy you a new one?" she asked sarcastically.

"I don't think even a year's earnings of your salary can afford it. I'll think about your punishment," he pondered.

"Are you saying I'm poor?"

"I didn't say anything. Shouldn't you feel lucky that I'm sparing you from paying?"

"Well yeah, thank you so much," she rolled her eyes.

A moment of silence crept between them as they focused on their own doings. He was on the couch, paying attention to the basketball game he was watching on TV while she was on the dining table, focusing on her laptop. On one occasion, he peeked at what she was doing out of curiosity and so did she. Although, their gaze never met while doing so.

"Alright. I need to interview you. I want to finish this as soon as possible," Kari stated.

"Now? Can't it be later?"

"I told you I want this thing done. It's not like I want to interview you anyway. I had enough time knowing you already."

"Fine, come here," he patted the seat beside him on the couch, pulled out a teasing smile and winked at here.

She gave him a look of sarcasm matched with a perfect arch of an eyebrow. "Thanks but I'll pull a chair."

She took a seat across him and prepared her paper with the listed questions and a voice recorder.

"You better take this seriously. And try to be mature here. I'm not playing games, I'm doing my work."

"Sure. Whatever you say."

"So, let's get started. What's your biggest accomplishment so far in your career?"

"Hmm. Let's see. So far, in my three years of being a national basketball player, my team won two championships. If it helps, this year, my preseason statistics are 13.2, 7.9, 5.6 and 10.1. That means my PPG or points per game is 13.2, RPG or rebounds per game is 7.9, assists per game is 5.6 and EFF or efficiency rating is 10.1. And in all my games, the highest points I made is 32. I made 17 rebounds, 12 assists, 9 blocks and 8 steals. So basically, where I am now is my biggest accomplishment."

"What are the things you currently do in your training that are keys to your success?"

"I just practice, shoot some hoops in the morning and I work out on my free time. I don't really do anything special. You just gotta work hard to take you to the place you want and somehow, I find it that in the end, things work out."

"What is your diet like?"

"What? That's stupid. Do I really have to answer that?"

"It's on the fuckin list!"

"Fine. I eat normal foods, like what any other person eats. Fruits, vegetables, bread, and the usual. And in case you're wondering, I eat a maximum of three cups of rice a meal. And you can't call me a pig cause I don't steal someone else's bowl of strawberries in the fridge."

She shot him a glare. "Oh, and we're gonna go there now?"

"Pfft. Next question," he grinned.

"Where do you draw your inspiration from?"

"Hmmm. Let's see.. When I was five years old, I got attracted to the game. Since then, I started to watch basketball on TV and never missed a game of the NBA playoffs. And just so you know, I'm a fan of the Boston Celtics. I became a part of my school's varsity team during elementary and high school until college. Being a basketball player was my dream since I was young. and my inspiration? I just think of the amazing feeling I get when I shoot the ball through the hoop and win. There's this feeling of victory that runs through my veins and that it just feels so good after sweating a lot and tiring every part of my body. I liked the sensation and that motivated me to work hard."

"Okay. So I think everyone know that you're listed on Forbes as one of the top 20 hottest bachelor," she rolled her eyes while saying this. "But do you have an eye on anyone right now? Perhaps a special someone?"

"Do I have to answer that crap Kamiya?"

"Yes bastard. And I told you to be mature because I'm not fooling around."

He snorted. "No, I don't have a special someone."

"That's it? No explanation?"

"You want a whole love story?"

"I'm asking you to explain why not," she elaborated.

"Well I dated a couple of girls in high school and college but nothing serious. And after college, at the start of my career, I was too busy to go dating. Happy now?"

"So you're implying you never got laid?" Kari tried to prevent bursting into hysterics.

"Is that even on the list Kamiya?" he shot and she shook her head as a no.

"Then why are you asking? Are you prying on my private life? Or my sex life rather?" he questioned in a pissed voice.

"It just came up to me," she now laughed at his reactions. "Why are you being such a pussy about it? Defensive much?"

"Shut up if you want me to continue this stupid interview."

"Don't tell me you haven't had time for sex?" she couldn't stop from laughing and from the questions she's throwing at him, it seems that he'd had enough of being the victim for too many times.

"You're implying that I'm sexually frustrated?" he was seriously angry and it didn't occur to him that Kari was only making fun of him.

"Why are you answering me with questions? I think you're guilty about it. Just admit it anyway." She was already holding her stomach for the pain it caused her while laughing so hard.

"If those crap get published, I swear I'm gonna sue you!"

"So you're saying it's true?"

"I didn't say that."

"Well then I don't think there's a reason for you to be so uptight. Well, unless you are…"

"Dammit Kamiya. I'm not kidding," he rose up and tried to get the recorder from her. "I'm gonna throw this if you won't stop."

"Alright, alright. Geez. You're such a child," she ebbed her laughter and showed a more serious face before muttering "Can't even be mature enough to handle a conversation about sex."

"What did you say?" he shot. "So we're talking about sex now? How about right here, right now. Can you handle that?"

"Eew Takaishi. Why would I even bother? I wouldn't do it with someone like you. I might even get STD's."

"Or maybe you're scared," he smirked.

"I'm not scared. I just know what I'd be getting myself into, loser," she stuck her tongue out.

And their bickering started all over again. A day wouldn't be called so if the two never got in a fight. It was the same everyday and god knows how they can even keep up with that. She completely forgot about her interview and he, well, he couldn't stand losing to the woman. There was even a point that he wondered if he was losing himself because of her. She had this thing in her that just stressed him into the farthest of his limits that made him more tired that working out. And he just hated it.

"Well then, one million dollars please. That's a lotta information I gave you."

"Whatever, gold digger."

"Ahem," someone cleared her throat to interrupt the two's squabble. Unfortunately, it didn't work.

"Excuse me?" a loud woman's voice came between them and caught their attentions. As the two turned their heads in angry expressions of interjecting their quarrel, their faces paled and their eyes bulged as they saw who they were.

"Mom? What are you doing here?" they said in unison with shock and disbelief.

"Well hello Kari," her mom greeted sarcastically. "Very polite greeting huh?"

"Why are you here, mom?" Tk asked in a calm tone.

"Can't I visit you today? And it's a Sunday so we figured you didn't have work. And why were you fighting with Kari?" his mom asked. Mrs. Takaishi was a blonde like her son and didn't look very old, just in the early 50's.

Mrs. Kamiya was a brunette like her daughter although her hair was quite longer. They almost looked alike except for the more mature features of the former.

"Uhm, we weren't fighting," Tk excused.

"Yeah Mrs. Takaishi. We were just in the middle of a disagreement," added Kari.

"Oh please, just call me Nancy, " the woman smiled.

"It didn't look like a disagreement to me," Kari's mom added.

"No, no Mrs. Kamiya. We're perfectly fine," Tk covered up in a fake, yet can totally pass as a genuine smile. He pulled Kari beside him as he took her shoulders and rested his arm around her as if to show that they're on good terms.

"Yeah Mom," Kari also played along and put her other arm at Tk's waist. "We're totally okay!"

Both mothers had a peculiar look but then let it go.

"Well, that's good then," Mrs. Takaishi voiced out. "I hope you're making her feel at home Tk."

"Oh yes he is Mrs. Takaishi. Totally," Kari smiled a helpless smile.

"Excellent," the older woman smiled. "So the reason we visited you guys here is that we wanted to take Kari sightseeing here in Japan. Lilia here told me you haven't shown her around yet," Tk's mom was specifically talking to him. "Why didn't you anyway? That's not the way a host has to behave."

Kari shot an accusing glare at her mother. "No Mrs. Takaishi, I mean Nancy. It's okay. I understand. He's busy and I'm busy too so there's really no need."

"Well, you aren't busy now."

"I have an intervie—"

"Nonsense dear," Mrs. Takaishi said.

"Mom, she's right. And besides, if I took her out sightseeing, then what would the public say to us now? Especially if it's just the two of us. I'd be the target of the press," Tk came up with another alibi.

"That's why we're here," his mom laughed.

And no one protested after that.

* * *

><p>They were in Tk's Lamborghini on their way to Tokyo Tower and the only ones that did the talking were their mothers while the two couldn't just put smiles on their faces. It was as if their mothers were the ones excited for the trip dedicated to the young brunette.<p>

It was a breezy day and everyone was out and about the city. Some ladies crossed the street with paperbags on their hands, just finished shopping. Teens and children are spotted hanging out and playing in the park. The place was evidently full of people once they arrived in their destination.

Their moms excitedly brought them up the tower to let them see the magnificent view of the whole Tokyo. With a hint of surprise, Kari smiled and let out a breath in amazement. It was actually a very pleasant view and somehow, made her feel at ease. They took a couple of pictures in the tower.

They went to more tourists spots namely the Sony Building, the Imperial Palace, the Yasukuni Shrine and other museums and buildings where most of the time, Tk was yawning and Kari trying to keep with her mom dragging her to every corner of the place.

"I can't believe so much has changed in Tokyo after you left dear," Kari's mom said while they were in the car heading out to some restaurant for dinner.

"Yeah, a lot did change," the tired brunette answered back.

"You were five years old when you went with your dad in L.A. and you never came back since then. Now you're all grown up and working.. I still can remember that time when you used to wet the bed when you sleep."

"MOM!" Kari's face turned redder than a tomato and buried her face with her palms. "I can't believe you have to say that! It's embarrassing!"

She looked up the rearview mirror and saw Tk looking at her with an insanely huge smirk on his face. She threw him deathly glares even if it was the most humiliating thing her mom did to her.

"It's okay dear," Tk's mom said after her chuckles subsided. "Tk used to play with his ting ting everytime I took him a bath when he was four."

"What the fuck!" Tk bolted out. "MOM!"

Everybody laughed with the revelation, except of course for Tk. And Kari didn't hold her laugh just so she can get back at the blonde. They exchanged looks through the rearview mirror and the brunette was wearing a triumphant grin.

He mouthed fuck you and Kari just stuck her tongue out like a little girl.

"Can we not have this conversation?" Tk interrupted their hysterics. "I'm losing my appetite."

* * *

><p><em>But things just get so crazy living life gets hard to do<em>

_And I would gladly hit the road, get up and go if I knew_

_That someday it would bring me back to you_

_That someday it would bring me back to you_

"God, I'm glad that's over," Kari placed her hand bag on the living room table and went directly to the counter and pour herself a glass of water. After a long day and a really embarrassing dinner, she couldn't help but let all that weight off.

"I'm so tired of hearing our moms yabbering."

The blonde ran his hand through his hair and replied "Tell me about it."

He took a bowl of grapes from the fridge.

"So… you play with your dick?" she smirked. He banged the fridge door and answered back. "Fuck that."

She laughed. "I think it's sexy."

He snorted and didn't say anything but took a piece of grape and ate it, watching her look at him from the counter.

"Well, unless of course you're still doing it now.. coz it would really be a huge turn off," she teased and drank her water.

He smiled his trademark sexy smile. "So, what can I do to turn you on?"

Surprised by his answer, she choked while drinking the water and coughed before she was able to regain herself.

"I still hate you, you know," Kari pulled herself up the counter stool and took her recorder on the table where she left it.

"On the contrary, it's me who hates you."

"Whatever. Can we go back to your interview? I wanna get it over with," she tried to change the subject, leaning away from that uncomfortably sexy vibe she was feeling.

"I'm beat! Let's do it tomorrow," the blonde complained.

"I'm suppose to be the bitch who makes your life miserable so I can't agree with you on that," she laughed. "So, how's life for you right now?" she turned the recorder to his direction.

"Right now, it's kinda tight with the play-offs coming soon. Plus, there's a crazy woman living under my roof who's a pain in the ass and what makes it more annoying is that she's too hard-headed and keeps on fighting back."

"Blah blah blah Takaishi. Tell us something more interesting."

"Why should I? You ask me."

"I'm running out of questions. Maybe your life is so boring that nothing's there to interest the public," she laughed.

"I'll tell you something interesting," he retorted. "My parents were divorced when I was six and got separated from my dad and brother and I lived with my mom. Then during late elementary, I had to win every basketball contest there was to give the portion of cash prize to my mom because she was having a hard time paying for school. And every after class until high school, I had to work in a diner across the town gym to help my mom earn that's why I usually miss basketball training. Happy now?" he sharply turned his gaze to her direction and raised an eyebrow.

She didn't say anything because of the surprise she felt upon hearing his story. "I'm sorry," she whispered. "I.. I didn't know."

"Of course you didn't."

"Look, I really can't tell you how sorry I am to be so insensitive to y—"

"Pfft," he laughed. "You're so dramatic. I didn't know a lunatic like you is ever capable of feeling sympathy." Tk laughed at the act he did and how he was able to get Kari to shut like that. It was hysterical!

"What the fuck! You stupid asshole! You're such a liar!"

"Hey! You're the one who said make it interesting. So why not make a fake story? Isn't that what you media people do?" he started laughing so hard. "I loved that look on your face! It was fuckin priceless!"

"Whatever. You're lucky I was being compassionate to an arrogant moron."

"I don't need your charity Kamiya," he replied in a loop-sided grin.

She walked out and mumbled sarcastically, "I don't need your charity Kamiya. Bastard."

"It's okay! I know you hate me!" he called out again with a laugh.

_How can someone like him ever exist on the face of the Earth? I can't believe I'm stuck with him! Can't things get any worse? _She thought before calling it a night.

_That may be all I need_

_In darkness she is all I see_

_Come and rest your bones with me_

_Driving slow on Sunday morning_

_And I never want to leave_

**Cancercute ©opyright**

* * *

><p><strong>[AUTHOR's NOTE]<strong>

**Date Posted: **o9.23.11

**It's quite a short chapter but I hope you appreciate it. Send in that review! And to those who reviewed last chapter, muchos gracias! I love you guys. You're a huge part why I keep on updating. **

**Now Playing: Sunday Morning** by** Maroon 5**


	5. Love Me Paparazzi

**CHAPTER V**

**LOVE ME, PAPARAZZI**

_There's only two types of people in the world_

_The ones that entertain and the ones that observe_

_Well baby, I'm a put-on-a-show kind of girl_

_Don't like the back seat, gotta be first_

Early that noon, Kari came back to the house to prepare for a meeting with Gucci in two hours along with Sora. Both of them were to attend a conference of the company wherein the brand will be exclusively sharing their wardrobe design and style for the next season.

Of course Kari was excited to be one of the people who will be able to take a peek of the upcoming trends of the year. But the most important matter at hand was how to look her best in a meeting with the superiors of the worldwide famous brand. It wasn't only the question of what to wear and how to wear it, but she should first and foremost know how to carry herself with the kind of clothing she'll wear. Corporate attire would probably sound boring but if she manages to carry them with grace, beauty and sophistication, then she'll know how to get away with it.

While climbing up the stairs, she was mentally picturing out the outfits that would be most fashionable, suitable for the occasion and most importantly, an attire that would make her stand out.

By the time she got in her room, she was stunned to see every little piece of garment and morsel of her paraphernalia all over the place. It was as if a hurricane just visited her room. Her dresser was messy. Cosmetics, perfume bottles were unorganized and drawers were unlocked. Her cabinet doors were open and some of her clothes have fallen down the floor. It was such a disastrous scene, plus she never liked seeing her things disoriented and she very well knows that her room was spick and span the moment she left that morning for work.

Quickly, she dialed Tk's number. After the first ring, the blonde immediately answered.

"Yeah?" he said through the other line.

"Takaishi! I don't know what the hell happened but I think a robber just broke into the house!" she said frantically. "My room is a disaster and my clothes are everywhere My dresser, cabinets, shoes.. they're all over the place Call the cops right this instant I have a meeting to attend and I need to—" she said nonstop.

"Hey hey hey! Relax. You sound like my grandma. And chill, I was looking for hair gel in your room," he said calmly.

A moment of silence came between them.

"You… You were looking for a fucking hair gel? What the fuck is wrong with your fucking mind? Why can't you just fucking look properly? Why do you have to fucking ruin my fuckin room? Fuck you!"

She snapped her phone shut. She was so full of rage that she couldn't think coherently. She went straight to the bathroom and washed her face before she could do anything violent. That was it. She's had enough of Takaishi's charades. _He's gone way too far. _Knowing how much of a dick the blonde was, she could never imagine that he could do anything like this. It was wildly out of proportion that it made her internal self snap like teeny-weeny twigs into two.

But it was time to brush that thought away because she has more important business to attend to.

Once she composed herself, she put on a short black pencil skirt that reached mid-thigh and a low-neck pink blouse and a black blazer. She readied herself and put on her black 5-inch pumps. Leaving the room, she was irritated at the sight of her filthy bedroom.

_Why were you looking for a hair gel anyway?_ She pressed sent after typing the message on her phone.

She wouldn't let it go. She just can't. As usual, she's gonna find another way to make it even with him. After all, it's called sweet revenge for a reason.

_I'm heading for a JBL press conference. _Upon reading his reply, she knew exactly the sweetest vengeance she could ever give.

* * *

><p><em>I'm like the ringleader, I call the shots<em>

_Call the shots_

_I'm like a firecracker, I make it hot_

_When I put on a show_

Within a few moments, Sora and Kari were inside the conference room of the office of Gucci.

Frankly, she felt really lucky and honored to be there and excited as well. But the thought of Takaishi entering her room and going through her property was unforgivable. There were moments in the meeting where she was just lost in space with an angry expression on her face.

"Kari, are you okay?" Sora whispered.

"Oh yeah, fine," she replied with a reassuring smile.

The meeting seemed longer than she expected or was it because she just couldn't wait to execute her brilliant plan.

By the time the conference was done, she bid goodbye to her colleague and hailed a cab directly to where the Hitachi Sunrisers and other members of Japan Basketball League were holding the event.

When she arrived at her destination, she went straight to the ladies' room and reapplied her make-up. She removed her blazer revealing her backless, low-neck blouse. If she was gonna humiliate the basketball player, she's gonna have to look hot while doing it. Bringing down the famous – she admits – stupid blonde requires a look of sophistication so people won't judge her and would not seem to be a mentally deranged fan of Takaishi.

She entered a hall where a lot of people were in their suits and corporate clothes. In the middle of the room was a long table and some camera crew were in front of it taping the footage live while everybody else including the media, basketball professionals, coaches, consultants, journalists were mingling with each other in the little soirée.

Kari spotted Tk sitting by the center table. He was about to speak in front of the camera and talk about their past games in the play-offs and their up-coming games when he also noticed her presence too and was quite surprised. She gave him an evil grin as he started his short speech in the microphone.

"Excuse me," a woman came up to the brunette. "You're a new face, aren't you? I haven't seen you around here. I know because I'm always present in these press conferences and well, have been familiar with quite the same faces. But you… who are you here with?" She asked politely with a genuine smile. "Oh I'm sorry. I'm Rika, sports editor of The Tokyo Bulletin."

She extended her hand for a handshake.

"Oh hi," Kari greeted cheerfully. "I'm Kari Kamiya. I'm actually here with Tk Takaishi."

"Oh, are you really?" Rika was seemingly surprised at that moment. "Are you a special friend of some sort?"

Without hesitation and an evil plan unleashing her villainous brain, she grinned and replied, "Actually, I'm his girlfriend."

"Wow. I never knew he was dating."

"We have just been together for a while. We just started dating actually."

"That's nice. So tell me, what's it like to be dating a rich and famous basketball player? Not to mention one of Forbe's hottest bachelors."

"Oh he's great. But he insults too much, messes with my stuff and honestly, not that much of a gentleman. To tell you the truth he's not the ideal boyfriend you'd want to have. One time, he even called me fat," she made a playful sad face expression.

"Did he really? Oh my god."

"I know right. But even though, let's just say he's a really really great boyfriend." She smiled reassuringly.

"That sounds good. You know, we've done a couple of articles about him in the past, but it's all the same. I mean, it seems that nothing new is happening in his life but the same old success. Yes, he's handsome, talented, rich, but that's all there is. It's really hard to get some fascinating and even profitable information about his life. It's so private and he's always so general in his interviews."

"Really now?"

"Truly."

"Well, let's see if I could add up some spice in his life," she laughed.

"So tell me, where do you work?"

"Oh, I work in Vogue Magazine. I just started a month ago because I came from L.A. and worked in Vogue there too."

"Interesting.."

Their conversation was cut when a tall figure came beside the two talking women.

"Excuse me," Tk interrupted.

"Oh, Mr. Takaishi. Rika, from The Tokyo Bulletin," she introduced herself and both shook hands. "I was just talking to your girlfriend here-"

"My what? Girlfriend? Oh no, you must be mistak—"

"Oh you know. He never really wanted the press to know yet," Kari broke in with an amused tone clinging on to his arm for show of intimate gesture. "See how private he really gets?"

"I can see that," Rika laughed. "But don't worry Mr. Takaishi, Kari's a wonderful woman. The public would love to see you both together. But please excuse me, I'll be over by the tables." With that, she left the two alone.

"What the fuck are you doing here? And what the hell was that girlfriend shit?" Being 10 inches taller than her, he towered over her so she had to tilt her head up to make him see how furious she was.

"Oh if you must know you dumbass, I'm here to get even. You think it's funny? Going through my damn things? You could've asked me for Pete's sake you moron!"

"Hey! I was in a hurry you lunatic. And for the record, you have an atrocious taste for lingerie," he smirked.

"You ugly bastard," she raised her hand to slap him but his reflexes were quick enough to grab her wrist.

"Don't you dare embarrass me in public or else."

"Or else what? God Takaishi, the nerve of you. If I didn't have the heart, I could maul you right this instant."

"Really? You can't even kill a cockroach. And you can't fight me. You're tinier than a hamster," he laughed.

"Can you let go of my wrist now? I swear I'm gonna stomp my heels on your ugly foot!"

Again, they were interrupted when they heard a sound of a clearing of a throat beside them. Consequently, a camera flash followed.

"Woah. What was that for?" the blonde reacted hyperactively.

"It's for the press boy. And don't worry, you look good," answered a middle aged man in tux.

"Mr. Kazu, sir." They shook hands.

"I heard over the journalists there that you brought a girl. Well, this is a first. Good job boy."

"Well actually—"

"No need for explanations. It's a good factor for your career. You know what they say, behind a successful man is a beautiful woman. And may I have the pleasure of meeting this fine lady?" he turned over to Kari.

"Oh hi! I'm Kari Kamiya, contributor and writer for Vogue Magazine," she shook hands with the man and smiled.

"Hiro Kazu, one of the consultants of the JBL," he introduced. "You have a beautiful woman here Takaishi. It's good you brought her here."

"Well, he does like to keep things to himself. You know him, too modest, doesn't want much publicity," Kari added while Tk just rolled his eyes.

Mr. Kazu laughed. "True, true. Well, I better leave you two lovebirds now. Nice meeting you Kari." She nodded and returned the gesture.

"What are you planning exactly?" Tk asked in annoyance.

"I'm planning to ruin your life ," she replied in a-matter-of-fact tone.

"Don't you get what you've done? Your little charade will be in the news later tonight and everywhere by tomorrow morning dammit! Don't you understand what you're trying to make the public see?"

"Oh I do very well. And that's just the start."

"You're a pain in the ass Kamiya. Now they're gonna keep an eye on you, so don't you ever dare humiliate me."

She laughed diabolically at the face of her most loathed person on the face of the planet. "We'll just see about that Takaishi."

* * *

><p><em>I feel the adrenaline moving through my vains<em>

_Spotlight on me and I'm ready to break_

_I'm like a performer and the dancefloor is my stage_

_Better be ready, hope that you feel the same_

"Darn it Kamiya! See what shithole you got ourselves into?" Tk shouted as he accelerated his blue Lamborghini on the street.

"Shut up Takaishi! You should be thankful I'm making you famous! And slow the fuck down! I don't wanna die beside you!" she shot back while focusing her gaze at the rearview mirror on the black Audi SUV of the paparazzi.

"Do you think I like being mauled and questioned by those damned reporters?" he swerved to the right and stepped on the gasoline. "This is your damn fault!"

"Why is it always my fault you fuckin asshole! You think you're so perfect and all that! God, I hate hearing your ugly voice complain!"

"Shut up lunatic!" He swerved to the left again and drove around Tokyo just to escape the paparazzi.

"You shut up! You're the one who started it. Why can't you just act like a mature man like you aren't!" She never really learned to control her temper when she met this pest. Sad to say that he definitely brings out the worst in her.

"Blah blah blah! Fuck that!" He continued to speed up almost leaving the city proper and still arguing with the woman on his passenger's seat.

"See! You can't even form a coherent response! You argue worse than an seven-year-old child!"

"Coherent my ass Kamiya!"

"Whatever loser!" she shot back.

They continued to argue and got pre-occupied with it that he kept on speeding up without noticing that they lost the paparazzi. It started raining and the road was darker now without the streetlamps. It was late in the evening and the sky poured a forceful downpour. They left Tokyo in such great speed that at some point in their quarrel, the nose of Tk's Lamborghini hit a huge mango tree.

"SHIT!" Tk exclaimed astoundingly at the series of events he was seeing.

"Oh god," Kari whispered.

"Shit shit shit!" Without thinking, Tk got out of the car into the hard rainstorm that night and checked out the moderate damage it did to his beautiful expensive baby. He ran his fingers through his wet hair in exasperation and kicked the trunk of the tree. He got back in the car, wet and cursed a string of profanities.

"Look at what you made me do!" he gritted through his teeth.

"How is it my fault again? Why do always blame it on me? Can't you accept that it's all your fucking fault?" She defended her poor abused self.

Tk looked at the rearview mirror and released a heavy sigh. "The paparazzi's gone."

"Gee you think?" she snapped back and crossed her arm.

Tk tried to start the car again but much to their dismay, it didn't run. The engine died and it was the most perfect timing ever.

"Great! We're stuck here!" Kari exclaimed in a tremendously pissed and sarcastic tone.

"Gee you think?" he gave her back her venomous response. Digging his pocket in search for his phone, all hopes in his face was gone when it displayed no signal.

Kari also took out her phone and was dismayed when she saw that her phone's batteries were dead.

She heaved a loud tired sigh and leaned her head on the windowpane in hopelessness.

There was a long ice-cold silence between them.

"God I just hate dealing things with you," she murmured in a weak yet provoking sound. "I'm tired and I want to go home."

"Stop complaining," he ordered. "I'm exhausted of arguing." He snapped his head to her direction.

"You think I'm not?" she retorted back and watched him with pure rage in her eyes. "It's always about you you you!" She leaned towards him and poked his chest with her finger everytime she said 'you'.

"You think it's all about me! It's you! You made my life miserable the moment I saw you in the airport," he leaned towards her to mirror her mad reactions and raised his voice.

She didn't shoot back a response since she was frozen right there in the intense loatheness of his scrutinizing eyes. They were seemingly closer than ever to each other and his heavy breathing was all she can hear. He could hear hers too. With their faces only centimeters apart from each other, it was impossible to miss the scent of his Bvlgari perfume and her fragrant Chanel no.5.

He looked away first and stared straight through the windshield while she stayed in her right corner, leaning the window and watching the raindrops trickle down.

It seemed as if the rain wasn't going to stop anytime soon. They'll just have to wait for morning to get out of this shithole. Being stuck in such an enclosed space with him was not an idea of a good night. But examining the situation they were in, it looks like all she has to do was bear with it and hope that tomorrow, she'd wake up and realize that this was only just a dream.

She still has to go to work tomorrow and this feud with Tk really wears her out. It's not work that's giving her a migraine, but this is. The feeling's so sickening that at some point, it makes her want to cry in frustration and anger. Nevertheless, she breathed in air and exhaled heavily, trying to clear her mind before she shut closed her eyes and attempted to sleep.

Meanwhile, Tk heard her intake of breath and twisted his head to her direction. He watched her sleeping and surprisingly, never noticed how peaceful she appears to be. She looked so serene, untroubled and there's something about the way he can hear her breathing that makes him unquestionably relaxed.

He got so attached, so fond of watching her. Her face radiated calmness, unlike her usual expression 'if looks can kill' or whenever she throws him death glares. It seemed so smooth and delicate, like a feather and porcelain at the same time. Her eyes were closed but he noted how long, curved and slightly thick her eyelashes were. And her lips, even in a pout, were cherry red that glistened in the moonlight. Her shoulder length russet hair gives the impression of being silky that he restrained himself from touching it, to see if it really had that velvety texture. And he was sure it had.

Strangely enough, he could've sworn at some point, he held his breath and his heart just skipped a beat. But one thing's for sure, tonight, he saw her in a way he never did before.

And with that realization, he heaved a heavy sigh and leaned back on his seat, consequently looked up the ceiling and shut his eyes closed, whispering to himself in utter damnation, "What the fuck am I thinking?"

_There's only two types of guys out there_

_Ones that can hang with me, and ones that are scared_

_So baby, I hope that you came prepared_

_I run a tight ship so beware_

* * *

><p><strong>Cancercute ©opyright<strong>

**[AUTHOR's NOTE]**

**Date posted: **1o.17.11

**Hi again! I hope you liked this chapter. It's kind of short but I promise you the next one will be worth it! Send in those reviews and make me happy. **

**Now Playing: Circus **by **Britney Spears**


	6. Sparks Fly Out

**CHAPTER VI**

**SPARKS FLY OUT**

_La la la la la_

_La la na na na_

_La la la la la_

_La la na na na_

By the time Tk gained consciousness from his not so comfortable sleep from the previous night, he hurriedly got out the car and walked around, holding his cellphone up to gain signal. He was still wearing his dried suit from the evening's soirée and it didn't help him from looking less idiotic in the middle of nowhere in the road with his car hit by a tree, and frantically trying to contact someone for help.

Finally, he was able to call Ken, one of his teammates and asked him a favor of getting them home. After a while of waiting, a black Porsche Carrera GT zoomed towards their direction and instantly stopped beside the blue Lamborghini. Ken, a dude with dark black hair and eyes, came out and behind him came a truck with four men in uniforms.

"Hey man. What happened? I called the best Auto Repair in Tokyo after you called me," Ken came up to him and slapped his shoulders.

"Yeah, thanks man. You know how the Paparazzi can get. I was trying to escape them last night," he replied in a devastated tone as he looked at his car.

"Woah. That's tight. Good thing nothing serious happened."

"I know," he sighed.

"Well, let's go. We gotta be in that All-star Kick Off celebration tonight," Ken said as he walked to the driver's side.

"Oh shit. Thanks for reminding me. Hold on, I gotta get her outta the car."

Ken raised an eyebrow and Tk just rolled his eyes.

The blonde opened the passenger door and looked down at the sleeping Kari. _Why do I have to carry you?_

Carefully, he scooped her into his arms and with absolute surprise thought out loud, _Wtf, she's so light. Does she even eat anything? _He saw how undisturbed her sleep was while he remembered he kept on waking up last night because of how uncomfortable it was to sleep in his car. He took her inside Ken's Porsche and placed her on the back seat. That fragrant perfume of hers still clung to her skin and it took all of him not to lean too close to her.

He talked to one of the men who were taking care of his car and proceeded to get in Ken's ride. Then, they sped off to Tokyo immediately.

Ken and Tk's conversation was interrupted when Kari started stirring and opened her eyes.

"Hey," Tk spoke looking at her through the rearview mirror. "I asked Ken to pick us up this morning."

She rubbed her eyes and looked over to the driver's side. "Oh hi," she smiled. "Thanks for the help."

"Sure, no problem. Kari right?" Ken asked in confirmation and for formalities. The brunette nodded as a yes.

"I didn't know you were ten tons heavier than a cow after I carried you here," Tk grinned at her, suppressing a laugh.

"Don't start Takaishi. I've always been as light as cotton. Don't you know that I weight exactly a hundred pounds?" she said in a matter-of-fact tone with a perfect arched eyebrow.

"Wow, she calls you by your last name?" Ken cut in with amusement.

"Feisty, right?" Tk replied. "But babe, really now? A hundred pounds? Won't I be worried if I find out you have anorexia?" he smirked while doing his little playful act.

The way he said it could've sent chills running down Kari's spine, but with her huge self-worth and pride, she restrained that from showing. Hell, no way was this blonde beating her down with all his sexiness. Shoot, did she really call him sexy?

_Babe huh. _"You know babe," she replied stressing on the word babe. "It's one thing to mess with me when I'm drunk. But it's a whole lot more suicidal on your part to piss me off in the morning especially when I just woke up."

"Man, your girlfriend's tough. It's hard to keep up with that," Ken commented with a laugh.

"I know," Tk replied and still stared at the rearview mirror in her direction. "She drives me crazy."

With his statement, both of them met eye to eye, watching each other through the mirror. She smirked at his response and laughed. "Oh I do, don't I?"

After almost thirty minutes of engaging in conversation and teasing, mostly in Tk and Kari's part, Ken halted to a stop in front of Tk's gate.

"Thanks man, I owe you one," Tk said to his friend while all three of them got out of the car.

"Nah, don't sweat. Hey, call up Kouji and Ryo and tell em to meet us here."

Kari hurriedly dashed to her room as she was already thirty minutes late for work. And with heaven's compassion to her, she saw her room as tidy as a hotel room. All the pile of clothes scattered and the things in her dresser were neatly arranged. _At least his housmaids are compassionate._

As fast as she can, she showered and pulled on a pair of Levi's skinny jeans and a nice plain turquoise top. She wrapped her neck with a white scarf and wore her black elbow-length leather jacket. Finally, she stepped in her brown boots and snatched her Prada before going down and head outside.

"Hey, I'm heading out for work," she called out while going down the stairs. She spotted the two guys eating breakfast with the tv turned on to the channel balls.

"Sure, take care babe," Tk grinned at her while she gave him a sour bitter smile of indifference.

"Nice meeting you Ken," she bid and headed out the door.

* * *

><p><em>Girl I've been all over the world<em>

_Looking for you_

_I'm known for taking what I think I deserve_

_And you're overdue_

She reached the 12th floor of the building and stepped out of the elevator towards her work desk. And as she walked through the many cubicles of her colleagues, she received all different kinds of stares: curious stares, intent stares, starstruck stares, scrutinizing stares and even death glares. Some people were whispering and watching her as she set out to her table praying that she wouldn't trip over in her heels with all these people on her sight.

She was weirded out with all of their expressions. _Is there something on my face? Am I wearing all the wrong clothes? Did I enter the right building? What the hell are these people doing ogling at me like I'm an idiot?_

Finally, she reached her work area and dropped her bag on the desk.

"I knew it!" Sora exclaimed, popping out from nowhere in Kari's cubicle.

"Oh my gosh Kari! What does it feel like dating him?" Zoe asked out of the blue as she appeared in front of her.

"My, my, you do know how to hook for a nice fish," Mimi commented from behind as her cubicle was just next to hers.

"What?" Kari asked in confusion. "What are you all guys talking about?"

"Oh c'mon. Why deny it when almost all of Japan's population knows of it. It's on the news you silly girl!" Zoe said and shoved to her face the sports section of The Tokyo Bulletin, with the headline that says _Tk Takaishi brings his girlfriend to the JBA Press Conference_. And there was a picture of the two of them standing beside each other.

"Oh my gosh!" Kari was dumbstruck seeing her name written bold in the first paragraph of the article. She was on national news!

"I knew that you two were going out the moment he fetched you the night we were going clubbing!" Sora spoke up. "And you never told us!"

"Well, this isn't exactly—" the brunette tried to explain.

"This is huge Kari! You're such a lucky girl. I bet every girl out there is swearing when they heard the news. Imagine how much of the female population would hate you and want to beat you up," Zoe said in amazement.

"Zoe! Don't be like that! You're scaring the shit outta Kari," Mimi cut in but smiled when she turned to her. "So, tell us everything!"

"Girls, girls, settle down," Luke's voice came in when he walked down the isle. "Get back to work and no unnecessary loud noise in the office. And Kari, despite the shocking news this morning, it's not an excuse to be late for work." He then passed by them and carried on with his supervision in the studio.

The three girls looked at Kari's direction from their own desks expecting to tell them some details.

"Fine, during lunch break," she mouthed and whispered.

It wasn't so long before the four girls went out to Starbucks to get a venti café latte and a sandwhich for lunch. They took seats on the comfy chairs in the back part of the café.

"You know guys, it's not actually what you think it is," Kari started before biting her sandwich.

"Just tell us already!" Zoe said in a giddy manner.

"Okay fine. But I tell you, it's not what you expect," she warned and began to narrate the whole story from the time she landed Tokyo International Airport to the point wherein she's eating lunch with her three colleagues.

All through out the story, they gave her weird and surprised expressions as to how seemingly unbelievable their situation was.

"So you're saying that this is all fake?" Mimi recapped for confirmation and Kari nodded.

"That he isn't actually your boyfriend, but you're living with him, and it's all for publicity so you can ruin his life?" Sora added and again, Kari nodded.

"Kari! Are you insane?" Zoe said out loud.

"SSSHHH! Guys! Promise me you won't tell anyone," Kari begged.

"Of course we won't. But I have to say, don't you think this is kinda bit childish?" Mimi spoke.

"Ugh, I don't really care. I just can't stand him," she said sipping her coffee and then her phone rang. "Speaking of the devil, here he is now." She took out her phone, "What?"

"_Do you always answer calls like that?"_

"What do you want already?"

"_You're coming with me to the JBA All-star Kick Off celebration tonight and wear something presentable."_

"What? Why? And what are you implying with that statement 'wear something presentable' huh?"

"_Just do it, okay. And this is your idea of a girlfriend-boyfriend payback anyway. Lousy strategy. And it means exactly what it means. Don't embarrass me by looking like an ape."_

"Ugh, whatever." She shut her phone and frowned at her friends who just laughed at her.

"I don't know how your mind works Kari to be getting yourself in this situation," Sora cracked up.

* * *

><p><em>And if you listen you can hear me through the radio<em>

_In that bright white noise_

_What I been missing in my life_

_What I been dreaming of_

_You'll be that girl_

_You'll be that girl_

_You'll be that_

It was nearly 5pm when Kari got out of work and was trying to hail a cab. As she was looking around for cabs, she noticed a group of people running towards her direction. Noticing that they had microphones, videocameras and such, it sank to her realization that the paparazzi were after her.

With a panic-stricken expression, she had no choice but to run in her four-inch high-heeled boots if she didn't want to be mauled by those journalists. She ran as fast as she could and threw one arm in the air in attempt to catch a cab. The flock of reporters, newsmen, and photographers were behind her, chasing her as if their job depended on it.

She never felt this horrified in her whole life, and not to mention so pained in the legs that at some point in running, she felt like she had wobbly jelly legs. They were coming closer and closer behind her as she slowed down her pace because of how exhausted she was. But in the nick of time, a taxi cab stopped in front of her and she hurriedly opened the door and got inside. Before she could breathe again, one of the reporters grabbed the handle of the door and tried to open it. Photographers were taking tremendous pictures and everyone was asking her different questions. She had to fight with the person who grabbed the door and it took all of her effort to close it. When the taxi sped off, she threw her head back and leaned limply like a wilting flower. She never hyperventilated so much in her entire life. Well, maybe except gym class in high school, but it was nothing compared to this one when you're being targeted by a group of insane people.

Unfortunately, luck wasn't on her side today when she whirled her head around and saw that the paparazzi were following her. She practically harassed the driver while she told him to drive faster. When he halted to a stop by Tk's gate, behind Ken's Porsche which was apparently still there, Kari scrambled to grab whatever cash she could get hold of and immediately dashed out of the car. But she got mortified when she saw them blocking the gateway. The paparazzi were in front of her, hindering her from entering the house.

"Get the hell out of my way!" she pushed through the mob of people, through their bodies to reach the gate. With intense exertion, she was able to pass through them and locked the gate door behind her. She heaved out a sigh and walked to the front door like she was knocked out.

She pulled open the door and stepped inside, surprised that she was greeted by four guys watching porn with bottles of beers in front of them.

"Oh my god!" she shouted in shock.

"Woah!"

"Hey!"

"Oops."

"Babe!" Tk greeted with a grin. "You look like you've been mauled."

And she did look like it. Her hair was all over the place plus her clothes weren't as neat as before. Her face was worn out and she had the aura of someone who just ran three kilometers in heels, which was exactly what happened.

"The freakin' paparazzi was outside harassing me! And will you please stop that video? It's disturbing. You look like you haven't had some." She said directly as if it wasn't a big deal.

Tk laughed and got up the couch to go near her. "Maybe I haven't." He grinned and then gave her a straight face, pointing his gaze towards his friends, telling her 'you know what I mean'.

"Let's settle this somewhere else," she fake smiled at him.

"Just a sec guys."

She pulled his wrist and grabbed him in the kitchen.

"I can't go to your stupid party! I'm tired of running around with these reporters!" she argued in a low voice.

"Hey! You put me in the same shithole these days and what makes you think I'm gonna let it go? It's still your fault that my car isn't here yet."

"Ugh, get over it."

"Just stop complaining will you? We're leaving at seven."

Soon, two of Tk's friends, Kouji and Ryo went home to prepare for the party while Ken stayed so he can drive Tk and Kari there. Everybody was getting ready for the event.

Tk and Ken who finished suiting up first were talking in the dining area while waiting for Kari to come down. Without anybody noticing, Kari got down the stairs already and called out to the two men.

"C'mon guys let's go."

As Tk turned to see her, he was astonished at how beautiful and sexy she looked. She was wearing a lavender halter dress that was tied up around her neck and reached midthigh. It's backless reached down just by her waist revealing an immense amount of skin. To match with that was a pair of killer black pumps.

But one thing that captured his attention was that her caramel and chocolate colored hair was done into long perfects waves that curled at the bottom. It perfected her maked-up face and brought about a different side of her he never knew existed.

"Let's go," Ken interrupted. "Stop drooling lover boy."

_Everything you want so let me get up there_

_I'm the baddest baby in the atmosphere_

_Tell me what you want so we can do just what you like_

She was sitting at the backseat of the car and he would constantly look at her in the rearview mirror, taking a peek and trying to convince himself if that was the Kari Kamiya he knows. And it took him a lot of strength to stop from smiling to himself.

When they arrived at the party, everyone in the basketball business was there including some important journalists. The two entered the place with Tk's arm around her back, holding her in the waist. And damn how smooth her skin was. They smiled as photojournalists took their pictures in the entrance.

Once they were inside, Tk was greeted by different people which he took as a chance to introduce his so-called 'girlfriend'.

"I'm telling you that it's extremely hard to lower down my pride tonight and tell you how beautiful you are," he said with a grin.

"What?" she asked, surprised at how capable he was of doing such gestures.

"Oh c'mon. Don't make me repeat it. I know you heard me well."

"Actually, no I didn't. What was that again?"

"Ugh," he rolled his eyes and smiled. "I said you're beautiful."

"Excuse me?" she tried to suppress a laugh.

"You're insanely beautiful Ms. Kamiya," he said in a more gentlemanly fashion.

"Why thank you Mr. Takaishi. You don't look bad yourself," she teased with a smile.

"That's it?"

"For now," she turned away flirtingly and moved her way towards the side where most of the journalists were while Tk went to chat with the players they'll be playing the next game with.

Kari took a seat in the table where Rika was and she got introduced to the others as well. While everyone was having a conversation with each other, she suddenly realized that this was the perfect start of her diabolical plan. She was gonna expose Tk to the media and tell them all sorts of stories to make him look really bad.

Through the whole night as they ate dinner, the people around the table were laughing and giving out shocked expressions.

"He's arrogant," she laughed. "You think he's all that Mr. Nice Basketball player, but he's not. It's all just for show, a public face."

It didn't occur to her that Tk who was standing right behind her heard the last few sentences she said.

"Let's go," he whispered to her ear and she stood to face him, only to see how hard and cold the look he was giving her. It was a straight face, angry eyes, locked jaw and she swore she noticed how he balled his fist beside him.

No one spoke when they walked outside the place and hailed a cab. No one dared to speak while they were inside the vehicle throughout halfway the ride. She saw how extremely pissed he was. It was different this time, unlike the numerous fights and quarrels they had. This, this scared her and at some point, made her feel really really guilty.

"Okay fine. I'm sorry. I didn't mean for you to hear it," she started out and apologized.

"Wow, really? Is that suppose to make me feel better?" he shot back at her with complete displeasure written all over his face. "You know Kamiya, hate me all you want personally. But don't take this out on my career. You don't have any right ruining it."

With his statement, she couldn't give back any reasonable response because at that point, she knows it's her fault. She got way out of line on this one.

The rain poured out again and nothing but the sound of the downpour could be heard as the two sat down quietly in the back seat of the cab neither one looking at each other. It was awkward and ill-at-ease with Kari being guilt-ridden and full of remorse while Tk was unimaginably indignant.

By the time they arrived at his place, without any umbrella, they ran out of the car under the rain towards the gate. Halfway to the door, and unfortunately, Kari tripped in her heels and could have fallen down the walkway if she hadn't caught a hold on to Tk's shoulders. With the weight she had to pull him down, Tk instinctively held her back by the waist. And at that precise moment, it was as if the world froze and the scene was paused.

She stared at his magnificently cool sapphire eyes staring down at hers. It gave her the chills, especially with that wet look on his face and his unruly blonde hair damp with rain. She never imagined he could look like Adonis, the Greek god, let alone picture him out as handsomely as he was now.

And in a brief second, he pulled her up to her feet while she held on to him for support as they briskly walked toward the main door. When they got in, they separated ways to each of their rooms without so much of a goodnight.

Tk stripped off his wet clothes, put on his jersey shorts and laid down his bed. He closed his eyes hoping for a relaxing sleep after a tiring day, but after a short time he opened them again. He looked up the ceiling, waiting to fall asleep. He waited and waited until nothing happened. He tossed and turned in his bed, looking a perfect position to sleep but he just can't. He only stayed there, with eyes wide open gazing at the clock. Still no progress. He grabbed his ipod by the side table and put the earphones. After listening to almost ten songs, he still couldn't sleep. He turned on his flat screen tv and scanned through the channels but nothing on was interesting.

Turning the tv off, he sighed and got up from the bed. He went down the stairs to the kitchen, only to find Kari sitting by the table lazily picking the grapes from its stem and eating it.

She was surprised to see him down at that hour.. topless. Exposed toned abs.

Nobody spoke at first. He walked over the fridge and poured a glass of water for himself. After drinking it, he spoke.

"Couldn't sleep?"

"No," she replied softly without looking at him. Finishing the last piece of grape, she stood up and placed the bowl by the kitchen counter where Tk was standing. She stepped aside to get to the sink when Tk coincidently stepped in the same direction, blocking her way to where she was headed.

"Oh," he said apologetically which made Kari look up at him. His body was millimeters away from hers and she could feel the heat radiating from his body. He gazed at her as she stared up too. She saw his face, his eyes, his lips and he did too with hers. His breathing was uneven and she could feel her heart hammering against her chest.

Compulsively, his head leaned closer to her and without a moment of hesitation their lips met in a soft, slow and innocent kiss. His lips moved against her dulcet smooth lips in a rhythmic romantic pattern. She trapped his bottom lip with hers as she ecstatically pushed it against his. He pressed his mouth onto hers forcefully this time and their lips danced against each other like the feisty movements of salsa.

When they pulled back for air, they were breathing heavily and were looking at each other in a completely awkward state. Before anyone could say a word or before she might do anything stupid, she muttered mostly to herself in lack of coherence in speaking as her mind was dazed, "I.. I'm going back to bed."

She didn't dare look at him anymore and hurried upstairs to her bedroom. She rubbed her face with the palm of her hands and closed her bedroom door, leaning against it and recalling what the hell just happened. She felt her heart thrashing like a locked up wild dog and still could taste the flavor of his lips clinging onto hers. She worried, yet smiled and thought of how ironic her reactions were.

Immediately, she flung her door open and was about to step out when she saw Tk outside, in front of her bedroom door. Without second thoughts, they rushed at each other and locked an exuberant and excited kiss.

This time, they were going in harder, faster and more intense motions that made her wound her arms around his neck and his around her waist. It was euphoric, thrilling and explosive, as if fireworks were highlighting the scene. Her lips moved against his erotically as she slowly opened her mouth for him and consequently, he slid in his tongue to taste the inside of her hot wet mouth. Their tongues danced in a flaming fashion, hungry of each other's want of pleasure.

He trailed down kisses from her mouth to the corner of her lips, to her jaw down her neck, breathing against it as he pushed her all the way to his room. He pinned her against his bedroom door and kissed her ear down to her collarbone and her cleavage while she groaned and slid down her palms to his smooth toned abs. He tightly took hold of her waist, pulled her closer to him so he could feel her skin beneath his loose shorts.

He opened the door from behind her without leaving his lips from her collarbone. Once they were inside his dark room, with only the moonlight illuminating the place through his open window, she pressed herself against him, lifting her left leg onto his waist. His right hands roamed down to her thighs, playfully stroking it, sliding his palms up under her shorts. His other hand wandered under her top and removed it with both his hands throwing the garment away.

He went back to kissing her mouth while his hands rubbed her bare skin down to her shorts and grabbed her ass pulling her to him. She moaned as she closed her eyes and craned her neck. While he kept kissing her neck, she rubbed her body against him in pleasure. Harder and harder. Rougher and rougher. She wanted to feel him, his skin, his muscles, his whole self. She grinded herself against his body to feel that prominent bulk between his legs. As she felt it against her, she groaned more in sheer delight.

She pushed him towards the bed where they both laid and he shifted on top of her to remove her shorts and cascaded kisses from her chest down to her stomach and stopping just above the hem of her panty. She felt intense pleasure and wetness inside her, making her moan louder and louder. She rolled up this time to remove his shorts.

His hands roamed around her body, from her thighs moving up to her bra while she marveled his body by gliding her hands from his nicely muscled arms to his neck, down to his beautiful abs.

He has never touched any woman as flawless as her and he was impressed. Her smooth delicate skin under his toned rough ones.. He kissed her bare shoulders while unclipping her bra while she arced her body towards his, in a wanting way to taste the whole of him.

And with that, they disappeared into night. Only the sound of gentle moans and the strained panting were distinct in contrast to the motionless night.

_You make me feel that_

_La la la la la_

_You make me feel so_

_La la la la la_

_You make me feel that_

_La la la la la_

_You make me feel so_

_La la la la la_

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><p><strong>Cancercute ©opyright<strong>

**[AUTHOR's NOTE]**

**Date Posted: **1o.27.11

**So i guess everybody's been waiting for this chapter? lol. How'd you like it so far? Send me those reviews and tell me what you think! Oh, and it's gonna take me a while to update since school's gonna start in a week. I hope you guys stick with me, hopefully, till the end of this fic. **

**Now Playing: You Make Me Feel **by **Cobra Starship**


	7. State Of Mind

**Hi everyone! Just so you're warned, this is rated M. That's all. **

* * *

><p><strong>CHAPTER VII<strong>

**STATE OF MIND**

_Would ya mind girl if I told you _

_Last night really blew my mind _

_Would ya mind girl no disrespect _

_But can we do it one more time_

Sunlight penetrated through the curtains and the brunette, with much effort, opened her eyes to another day. She was still dazed, tried to remember the occasion last night. Failing to do so, she looked around and noticed a figure beside her on the bed. She shifted to peep at the person's face, only shocked to find out it was Tk.

She mentally threw a string of profanities as she noticed under the covers that she was fully undressed_. Fuck._

Quietly, she got out of the bed, tiptoed and tried to look for her bra and panty, which were obviously scattered on the floor. She hurriedly put her underwear on before he could wake up but unfortunately, she couldn't find her bra.

Seeing that he was still asleep and wouldn't wake up anytime now, she took her towel and went inside the bathroom to take a really cold shower. So she can curse all she wants..

By the time she stepped out of her bathroom, with a towel wrapped around her body, she noticed the blonde on the bed, staring right at her with his famous Takaishi smirk.

"How's your sleep babe?" he asked in such a teasing manner before letting out a yawn.

"Don't you babe me asshole," she snapped. "This. This could never happen again, you got it? This is a stupid mistake," she tried to make herself clear on that.

He drew a breath and got out of bed. She quickly turned to look away knowing he was entirely unclothed himself.

"Relax Kamiya, it's just sex," he reasoned as he grabbed his boxers and put it on. He walked towards the brunette and slid his hand on her waist as her back was against him.

"And don't worry pretty girl," he whispered in her ear. "I know you enjoyed it too." He then kissed her neck and pulled his hand away from her waist. With that, he grabbed a towel and walked in the bathroom. "Later Kamiya!"

"Ugh! That bastard," she mumbled to herself and went out his room.

She dressed up for work – tight jeans and a plain red top with her denim jacket and scarf. After putting on her closed heels and grabbing her bag, she descended down the stairs

She hated his guts. She hated his face. She hated that twitch of his lips whenever he gets something that he wants. And she hated the way he always does get it. For some reason, it made him wonder what is it with Takaishi that makes all the girls of Japan swoon at the sight of him, besides the six pack abs, gorgeous untamed blonde hair, sexy smirk, mesmerizing sapphire eyes, amazing sex…

_Fuck. Dammit Kari. What are you thinking? _She mentally slapped herself from recalling of the previous happening that night. God, she doesn't even know who she wants to slap more – herself or that stupid ass Takaishi.

* * *

><p>After taking a cold shower, Tk pulled on his green sleeveless Nike shirt and matching jersey shorts and tied the shoelaces of his black and white Nike Air. Putting all his extra clothes, towel, wallet and other things in his sports bag, he caught a sight of Kari's black bra scattered on the floor. A smile crept involuntarily in his face as he grabbed the garment and placed it on his bed before heading out.<p>

He took a cab and asked to drop him off at the Auto Repair so he can claim back his precious Lamborghini back. After paying for the repair, he sped off to their usual training place to prepare with his team for the upcoming game with the Miyazaki Suns later that day.

While he was using the treadmill inside the fitness gym, a portion of the sports stadium, he spontaneously smiled without realizing that some of his teammates were looking at him, laughing their heads off at the way he was so preoccupied with his thoughts.

"Looks like somebody had it last night," Ryo said out loud. Hearing his announcement, he finally noticed how his friends were looking at him in amusement.

"What?"

"Dude, didn't you notice you were smiling like an idiot for the whole time you were using the treadmill?" Kouji pointed out.

He shrugged off his shoulders like it wasn't a big deal and grinned to himself. "What can I tell you? Last night was good."

They hollered out and joked while working out with weights, doing push-ups or joggings.

He didn't know what was happening to him, but all he's sure of is that he couldn't stop thinking about her or the previous night. It was something difficult to forget, something worth replaying in the memory over and over again because he loved the feeling it gave him - the feeling of fulfillment, pleasure and dominance.

But time to brush the dirty thoughts aside. They had a game to win later that afternoon to make it in the semi-finals. So far, they maintained constant wins but he had to make sure everything stays the same. The last thing he needs are distractions and he's been having that for the past few days, especially when Kari came into the picture. She's been making his life a living hell. First, he always gets annoyed everytime she answers him back. She made him go public at the bar just to fetch her when she was drunk. She made a scratch to his beautiful Lamborghini! She made him bump his car to a stupid tree! She always has to be there complaining and fighting him when they are being followed by the paparazzi. And, she was about to destroy his career after having a chat with all those journalists at the party.

What did he do to deserve this in the first place? And why was he even thinking about her when he needs to work out?

He did all the exercises of the gym equipments and concentrated on the up-coming game. It was sort of making him nervous and anxious but he just needed a clear head and a focused thinking to win this match.

Finally, after a series of exercises, he replenished his thirst as he drank from his enormous water jug and took a rest before the game finally begins.

When the sun was about to set, people were already starting to flood Toyota Sports Coliseum with all the rabid basketball fans, the media, and even the professional basketball players who came to watch the game. The players in the locker room were getting their gear ready and reviewed their tactics and strategy to claim victory. Before the announcer could yell their name, all the players huddled into a circle and put each hand in the middle, shouted to release all the negative energy running through their veins.

"The Hitachi Sunrisers!" the announcer yelled and off they jogged out in their yellow and white jersey uniforms to the stadium where hundreds of people were screaming their throats out.

"Versus… the Miyazaki Suns!" and their opponent in red and black jerseys came in.

Each team fell in line and shook hands before the official game begins.

Tk was in the first five, along with his friends Ryo, Kouji and Ken a guy named Seiji. They took their positions and readied. With Ryo being the center, he came face to face with the tallest of their opponent in the middle of the court, only the referee separating them. As the referee threw the ball up in the air, they both jumped and fortunately Ryo got hold of it and threw it to Kouji who dribbled it and took a shot at a 3-point…. And it scores!

"First shot by Minomoto number 10! Three points for the Sunrisers," the emcee's voiced radiated the whole place.

Tk was now dribbling the ball, passed through the opponents and shot another three points. Then the crowd goes wild!

The first quarter continued on until time's up leaving the score to 33-32 in favor of the Hitachi Sunrisers. At break, they took time to wipe off their sweats, satisfied their thirst and stretched some sore muscle.

Tk scanned the crowd and spotted his brunette housemate in the lower boxes of the bleachers. _She actually took the ticket I left in her room_.

It was a bit surprising to see her there and watch his game because as far as he can see it, sports wasn't really her thing. But nevertheless she was there.

Or maybe it was just another plot of hers to embarrass him in front of the camera. He'll never know what goes on inside that brain of hers.

The game resumed and it was a close fight. Everytime the Sunrisers scores a point, the Suns would follow up. Their scores just alternated throughout the second quarter. During the second half of the game, it became more intense and the stadium was in heat. Their score was in a tie of 74 and everybody was so nervous and tense.

Tk was pacing back and forth during timeout while the coach explained what they were supposed to do.

"Relax man. We're gonna win this," assured Ken.

He blew out a heavy breath. "Okay, let's do this," he told his teammates who were in a circle. "Sunrisers on three," they put all their right hands in the center. "One, two, three."

"Sunrisers!" And again, the fans went ballistic.

They went over the court and continued the game. Tk dribbled the ball, with swift movements he passed through the Suns and threw the ball to Ryo. Now with him bringing it, the opponents blocked him as he neared to the ring.

"I'm open!" Tk shouted.

He caught the ball and shot two points. The other team now had the ball and they moved in a relaxed pace as they traveled to the other side of the court. The opponent launched for the ring and shot it for another three points.

"Shit!" the blonde cursed.

Kouji caught back the ball and threw it to Seiji who assisted Tk in shooting another three points. It was one of the closest fights he ever had and now he was worrying that they might not make it to semi-finals after the third quarter ended.

Everybody in the crowd noised their cheers and enthusiasm towards the players who were now looking like wet yellow chicks. They had worried look on their faces and their bodies were exhausted.

Finally the last quarter came and everybody in the audience were hyped up and in their fullest energy, screaming and yelling.

The score was now 102-98 in favor of the Miyazaki Suns and everyone in the Hitachi Sunrisers team had their game face on. It was time to win. And no way were they accepting defeat. It's too close to the finish to decide on giving up. They're gonna play like they've never won before.

The whistle blew and Tk caught the ball. He dribbled it and shot two points. 102-100. Kouji was able to steal the ball and bounced it but unfortunately the opponent took hold of it and ran to their court and blasted to the hoops a three-point shot. 105-100.

This time Ryo was making his move and dunked it in. 105-102.

As the game progressed, the Sunrisers was able to throw in more points, landing them in the lead with the score at 118-120.

Last 10 seconds left.

As Tk aggressively aimed for a shot, he knocked an opponent by the shoulder.

"Foul!" the referee shouted.

The blonde ran his fingers through his hair in frustration. The Suns would now have their free throw.

The player Tk knocked by the shoulders was now preparing for the free throw. First chance…. It shoots! And the Miyazaki fans roared.

119-120.

"Don't shoot, don't shoot," Tk prayed as the opponent was about to make the second throw. He lifted the ball, threw it in the air…. And it missed!

"Thank you!"

5 seconds left.

The Sunrisers was in the lead of one point, but the Miyazaki had the ball.

"Defense! Defense!" shouted the Sunrisers fans.

The opponent ran toward their side of the court as Tk trails behind him. 4 seconds.

He dribbles it and Tk desperately tries to block him. 3 seconds.

He positioned himself and raised the ball with Tk's hands up in the air. 2 seconds.

He jumps and throws the ball in the air. 1 second.

Tk sprang and slapped the ball to the opposite direction. Pppprrrrtttt! The whistle blew and the crowd goes ferocious!

"Winner! Hitachi Sunrisers!" the announcer yelled in a hyped up tone. "With the score 120-119. Great game everyone, but I'm sorry Miyazaki Suns. The Hitachi Sunrisers will be taking the spot on semi-finals next week. See you on the next game everybody!"

* * *

><p>The place was still full of people when Tk and Kari walked to the car.<p>

"Nice game, loser," she teased.

"What can you say. I'm just that good," the freshly bathed blonde said arrogantly while he put his sports bag in the car's trunk. "Do me a favor and drive. I'm exhausted." He tossed her the keys.

"Sure, I'd love to wreck your car," she smirked at him and he instantly shot her daggers of glare.

"Chill Takaishi. You'll get old if you're so uptight."

When they got in the car, she started the engine and drove back to his house.

"You drive like my grandma," he commented while he watched her behind wheels, driving slower than 45km/hr.

"Keep talking psycho," she rolled her eyes.

After a long moment, they arrived home and Tk hastily removed his fresh clean shirt and plopped on the couch to take a rest while Kari checked the food in the fridge before going up her room.

While he lay on the couch, he watched the brunette go up the stairs and noticed how her ass swayed side to side. She was wearing a really tight pair of skinny jeans which revealed her nicely formed butt.

"Nice ass Kamiya!"

"Tell me something I don't know!" she shouted back without looking at him.

He smirked to himself and got up the couch, stretching his arms and muscles.

Going up the stairs, he was on the way to his room when something caught his attention. Her bedroom door was partially open and his bad conscience got the better of him, making him take a peek through the small opening at the sight of the brunette taking off her top. Her beautifully bare back was facing him and he admired that flawlessness which made him ache to touch her here and there.

Slowly, he crept inside her room with a grin on his lips and quietly stood behind her. She felt a hand snake against the curve of her torso down her naval. She was startled at the sudden touch of her skin but she knew it was him – that familiar heat his body emitted with a faint scent of cologne. She could have turned around and slapped him but her timing was late as his nose was already buried in her neck, gliding it up and down creating warm enjoyment.

She felt goosebumps rising her limp arms. His touches were delightfully weakening, making her hands ball into fists so as she could get a grip of herself and hopefully not lose her sanity. She swore her breathing was rough and uptight.

"What are you doing?" her voice was low, coarse and out of breath. A smile, which was more of a smug, crept on his lips while he kissed her neck. He knew he was taking effect on her, that his little touches made her strained and tense.. and he liked how he made her react.

"Do you always ask too much questions?" he whispered kisses in her ear. His hands which were fumbling her button jeans open traveled up to her bra, massaging and cupping her breasts in soft circular motions that sent her shivers down to her spine. He felt her tits harden through the fabric of her bra. Her toes began to curl and her fists balled by her side.

She shut her eyes closed and bit her lower lip tight at the overwhelming ecstasy she felt. It was too much to bear. She wanted to moan so hard but he didn't want him to win. It was always a competition. And she never liked losing.. but anytime soon, she feels like she's almost about to fail.

His hand wandered down.. down to the junction between her legs. He grabbed it, touched it, rubbed his fingers against it back and forth. And this time, she wasn't able to hold it anymore. She let out a whimper, an unreleased moan making him smirk at how he successfully entertained her.. and also himself. He drew lazy circles aimlessly on her spot and she could feel his touch beneath her jeans. His movements continued to stimulate her and send her groaning in delight.

"You like that huh?"

She was curling her toes really hard and was digging her fingers onto his thighs, clutching them for support as she felt her legs turn to jelly. And without her anticipation of it, he instantly shoved his dick to her ass, pushing his hardened crotch and rubbing it roughly against her buttocks. She shrieked at the sudden act which made the arrogant blonde feel more powerful. He pressed her body firmly to his with his right hand grabbing her womanhood while the other hand was on her breasts, playing and massaging them. He felt her return back the gestures as she rubbed her ass against his erection with need.

At this rate, she couldn't take it. If this is what she felt while dry humping, how much more if he really was inside her?

She found it so difficult to speak as she felt pure ecstasy and fierce pleasure, though she managed to verbalize these words between pants in a strained voice, "Fuck.. you... Takaishi."

He snickered at her statement. "On the contrary Kamiya, it's me who'll be fucking you."

She turned to face him this time and pushed him to the couch with a ferocious expression. "You think you can tease me huh?"

She stripped her skinny jeans down leaving her in her underwear and spread her legs in front of him, sitting right on top of his thighs. She rubbed her body hard against him and unclipped her bra, bringing both her palm between his neck and pulled down his head to her breasts. He kissed her hardened nipples and licked circles around them, lapping her breasts while she rubbed herself up and down against him, breathing heavily in extreme satisfaction. Her nails dug into his skin while he stroked her naked back with his hands down to her buttocks.

Her right hand snaked down under his shorts, slipped it in the garment and played with his cock through the fabric that was covering it.

He groaned this time, sensing that tingling feeling of her fingers touching it beneath the material of his underwear. She fondled with it, stroked its tips and grabbed it every so often while massaging it. And carefully, she slid her fingers inside his underwear and skimmed touches to skin of its beak. It was big, hard and wet.

"Tell me how wet you are for me," she murmured to his ear and nibbled it.

Before he could answer her, she craned her neck, drawing her face near his and gradually opened her mouth, sticking her tongue out to lick his lips. He slowly responds and both met in a battle of tongue to tongue. Their mouths fought with each other as they sought for oral gratification. They both felt the hot wet satisfaction while mouthing each other's tongue.

She twisted around on him, this time her back facing him. She was now sitting on top of his thighs and she leaned back to his chest. With her hands holding on to his wrists, she toured his hands around her body, gliding them with velvety strokes. From her hard-nippled bosom down to her navel and under her thong, she let his hands brush her phallic womanhood. She felt herself release the wetness at his sensual touches on her most treasured sensitive possession.

Closing her eyes and leaning back to him, she let his fingers go to an adventure in her cunt. Her muscles were tight, stimulated as she felt his fingers inside her. It was ecstatic and undeniably pleasurable that she whimpered and moaned. _Uuhh, aahh._

As he released them, she felt his penis harden again along with his groan. She smiled in satisfaction and instantly removed his hands from her skin. She stood up and grabbed her bra, clipped it back to her breasts and took a bathrobe. Without so much of a smile nor wink at him, she walked out the door and headed straight out, leaving the sexually frustrated Tk in her bedroom.

She went down the stairs to the kitchen and looked through the cabinets and fridge for something to eat.

"Ain't satisfied yet?" he asked appearing out of nowhere. She didn't hear him follow her downstairs.

"No." she replied nonchalantly, casual after their naughty charade. "Couldn't blame you if you sucked."

"Ow! That's below the belt."

"Yeah, and whatever's below that belt," she pointed to his thing and arched an eyebrow, "isn't even worth it."

She snickered and opened the fridge in search for good food. When she took a piece of strawberry, he grabbed her by the waist and whirled her to face him, pressing her body to his.

"I suck huh?" he challenged. "Then try sucking what's under here."

She gave him a pathetic look and shoved the strawberry to his mouth. "Suck it yourself, asshole." Laughing at the look on his face, she bit a piece of the strawberry in his mouth. She smiled as their lips touched and he placed his hands on her hips lifting her to sit on the counter without separating their mouths. Her inner thighs stuck beside both his ribs and her legs crossed at his back, trapping him very much closer to her. She took whipped cream from the bowl and smeared it to his nose, eating it herself in enjoyment. He smeared caramel on her lips and wiped them out with his lips too. They shared another strawberry and put it between their mouths. Both laughed and smiled with the crazy things they were doing in the kitchen.

Holding on to the stem of a cherry, he put his tongue out and placed the fruit on top of it. "Eay ya heyi ah," he spoke.

She laughed at the most stupid thing he's saying. "What are you saying?"

"Eay ya heyi ah," he repeated again.

Trying to restrain a giggle, she neared her mouth to his and took the cherry from his tongue with hers, biting it and chewed it, picking the stem from her lips.

She was laughing so hard while he dipped his finger to chocolate syrup and tried to smear it on her face but she jerked back away automatically.

"Eew, no," she protested and grabbed his wrist, steadying his hand between them. She looked at him, and then on his chocolate covered finger.

Slowly, she put it in her hot wet mouth – pushing and pulling it inside while she gradually licked out the chocolate. He felt his penis harden again at the erotic talent her tongue did.

He threw his head up and looked at the ceiling, breathing loudly and unevenly.

_Damn this woman! _He thought.

"How'd you like our dinner?" she asked sexily and slid down the counter.

Soon, after the dirty dinner they had – if you call it dinner – they were on the couch in the living room, looking out at the swimming pool through the glass doors. His feet were on the table and his bare torso was leaning back. His other hand was holding a glass of wine while the other arm rested on top of her inner thigh, just below the hem of her panty, which was exposed by her robe.

She was cuddled next to him. Her right leg, where his hands are laid, was on top of his left leg. She placed her left hand on his midtorso, just below the bellybutton and above the bulk of his boxers while her chin rested on his shoulder.

Neither of them spoke at the moment. They just stayed there quietly, enjoying the company and trying to process the early play they had just done. A smile crept unknowingly on her face and she did her best to hide it. In fact, she hasn't had sex like this since god knows when and she's so glad it was beyond fulfilling. _Who never knew sex with him would be so… mind-blowing._

To him, truthfully, it was one of the best sex he had for quite a while and he never knew she had that promiscuous side of her. _She's more than I thought she was. _No woman has ever given him that immense orgasm ever in his life. And that was something he admired in her.

"So, what are we now?" he spoke.

"What do you mean?" she asked lazily, tracing circles on his six-packed abs.

"We date publicly, have sex.. what happens now?"

She giggled in amusement. "Nothing. Just like you said, it's just sex. And why are you thinking about that?" she pulled back her chin from his shoulder and looked at him directly with curiosity. "We're doing a fake dating façade and have sex. Did you think that makes you my boyfriend?" she snorted, displaying a sarcastic expression.

"Hey, I didn't say anything. You girls have that whole emotional drama thing going on with these kinds of things," he said defensively. "I was just making sure."

"Oh puh-lease. I'm not that kinda girl Takaishi. And I still hate you, you know."

"I never said I stopped hating you too Kamiya. And no strings attached then."

"Suuure," she laughed and got up the couch. "Well, good night then. See you tomorrow. And, uh, it's great having sex with you." She turned to her back and took the stairs up.

"Damn that woman," he muttered to himself with a smile. She was fierce and different, and he liked that. There's something about her that every guy would love: amazing sex, no strings attached, great boobs, nice ass, a wet pussy.. and the list could go on.

It was a dream come true, having to fuck her without committing into anything serious and doing obligations. Hell, it'd be a lot of fun.

But all of a sudden, why did he feel a tiny twist in the chest deep down in the pits of his feelings when she told him she still hates him?

_Would ya like girl for me to touch you _

_I can come and press rewind _

_Take it right back up on your back chase your body every night _

_Should I lay you down should we do this now _

_Tell me or just give me a sign_

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><p><strong>Cancercute ©opyright<strong>

**[AUTHOR's NOTE]**

**Date Posted: 12.22.11**

**S****ong in the chapter: Encore** by **Jason Derulo**

**Hi! I'm so sorry for the late update but life's getting in the way. Lol. But here it is and I hope you enjoyed! Click that review button and make me happy! Btw, how'd you think of it?**


	8. I Wanna Touch You Too

**CHAPTER VIII**

**I WANNA TOUCH YOU TOO**

_I never thought that I was so blind_

_I can finally see the truth_

_It's me for you_

It was a fine Tuesday afternoon and Kari decided to buy a large raspberry mocha latte in Seattle's Best Coffee since she had a one-hour break from work. She popped her head out from her cubicle and looked out for her friends if they were not doing anything at the moment. But by the looks of it, it seems that she'll be having a lonely cup of hot coffee today.

Sighing, she took her purse and stepped out the office room. Down the hallway of white walls with various paintings and magazine cover pages hanging was the elevator. As the door slid open, she stepped in and was about to press the button when someone from outside yelled.

"Hold on please!" the man shouted, running towards the elevator trying to make it through the closing doors. He hurried to her direction and luckily was able to stop the doors from closing and slid in the place.

"Nice," she commented and smiled at the man. "Lucky you made it."

"Yeah," he replied, mirroring her greeting as he gasped for air. The elevator descended its way from the 12th floor down the lobby.

"Kari right?" he asked and she replied with a nod.

"Wait. How'd you know? I don't think I've met you before," she interrogated.

"I see you all over the place. I saw your picture in the sports section of Tokyo Bulletin and I think TMZ got a video of you in Tk Takaishi's car vomiting at the paparazzi. Now that was sick," he cracked a little laugh. "Oh, I'm Daisuke by the way. Davis for short." He introduced himself.

"Oh, nice meeting you. So why haven't I seen you around?"

"I'm working at the technical department. You know, fixing the website, lights and cameras for photoshoots, et cetera. And we're rarely in the editorial department office with people like you.. the editors, contributors. So yeah," he explained.

"Oohh. That does make sense. So where you headed?" she asked when a "_ting!" _ sounded and the elevator doors opened.

"I'm on my way to Seattle's Best for coffee. Some of us are taking overtime at the department. I think some equipments need fixing for later's photoshoot," he said.

"Really? Great!" she exclaimed. "I mean, I'm on my way there too. It's better to have company."

"Cool," he smiled.

Across the company's building were a chain of cafes and restaurant with not so many people in since it was in the middle of the afternoon. Most of the costumers were the usual employees in the office, nurses taking their breaks, businessmen on meetings and the likes. They entered the familiar coffee shop and made their way to the counter.

"Go look for a table. I'll order for you," Davis told her.

"Right. I'll have the dark mocha frap," she said and scanned the room for an empty table.

She spotted two empty seats beside the glassed wall and took the spot before anyone could. It's been in her system to want to have coffee every afternoon since it always get sleepy at around those times.

He came with a tray and two frappes and hand one over to her.

"Thanks," she said as she put the straw through the hole and stirred the whipped cream into the coffee.

"So, who's gonna be having a photoshoot later that you guys have to work overtime?" the brunette expressed her curiosity.

"I don't really know. They said just someone important," he shrugged his shoulders. "So, semi-finals is coming soon. How's you boyfriend coping with that?"

Her faced turned to a frown. "Why does everybody fuss about my relationship with him?"

He laughed at her reactions. "You don't really give him much credit don't you? Everybody talks about him! Even the guys. Well, you know us men. We're into the basketball shiz."

She raised her eyebrow and cracks up a small giggle.

"He's Tk Takaishi! The youngest to ever make it in JBL! Imagine that, at twenty three? In the last season, he scored the highest points among all the professional basketball players in Japan," he expressed enthusiasm in telling her.

"Alright, alright. He's all that," she rolled her eyes.

"You don't seem to proud about that," he noticed.

She pursed her lips. "No, I don't."

"Well, just remember how lucky you are. Girls are out there plotting to kill you," he laughed. "And just so you know, he never got to publicly show any girl with him to the press. You're the first."

_Yeah, coz he's too dense to date. _She thought.

While they waited time to pass before they could return to work, they talked more about each other. Laughed. Made jokes. And be casual to each other for meeting the first time. After that, they decided to get back to the office.

They crossed the street, on their way to the front door of the building when they bumped to Luke in the parking lot.

"Oh Kari, can I speak to you for a while?" he asked.

"Sure," she said and waved bye to Davis who went in the building.

"Listen. I know we kinda started awkwardly, with me being you know and during that night out," he started off.

"Yeah, yeah. It's okay. I understand. No worries, that night was totally forgotten," she replied suspiciously.

"Thank god," he sighed in relief. "So I wanted to ask a favor… Can you let Tk Takaishi sign this?" he asked, handing over a white mug.

She was dumbfounded. Extremely surprised and speechless that her jaw dropped open. "You.. you want me.. to let him sign… your mug?" she staggered as she repeated the favor he asked.

"Yes, please. If it's not too much for you," he smiled.

"Uhm, no. Of course not. I'll make sure he signs this," she took the mug carefully, and tried to process what just happened. She was still in deep shock.

"Thank you so much Kari!" he thanked exuberantly and kissed her both cheeks so cheerfully. "Oh, and tell him good luck on semi-finals," he said as he walked over to his car and waved at Kari.

"Oh sure," she said, completely dazed. She was still trying to regain herself as she walked to the entrance of the building. _I didn't know that my boss could be THAT gay._

She took the elevator, going back to her cubicle, holding on to the mug. When she reached to her workplace, and was greeted by Luke's secretary, Sora.

"Kari, Luke has assigned you to do be on the camera crew later for the photoshoot. That means you'll be having overtime. Oh and Mimi will help you assist Rodrigo, our official photgrapher."

"Who are we taking a picture of?"

"The month's coverpage model, Aika."

"Okaaay," she replied indifferently and went off to continue her work.

* * *

><p><em>Tonight you can't imagine that I'm by your side<em>

_Cause it's never gonna be the truth_

_So far for you_

Almost everybody was out after six except for a few people who are working overtime. Kari came in the studio with everybody setting up the lights, cameras and special effects.

"Hey, are we starting?" she asked no one in particular and stood beside the huge camera that Rodrigo will be using. "So, where's Aika?"

"She's in the dressing room, almost done," Mimi said beside her.

Soon enough, the dark wavy haired Aika emerged in the set all dressed up in a glossy amethyst off-shoulder dress, all made-up from powdered face to the thick black mascara and heavy purple eyeshadow, from the pink blush on to the shimmering red lipstick on her lips.

"Wow Aika! You look so vogue!" Kari greeted and the model returned it with a smile as she took her place in the white background.

Rodrigo took a number of shots of Aika in different angles. "That's it! Now move your head to the right, look at the ceiling. Brilliant! Now look at the camera and purse your life, beautiful!"

And right after that, someone barged in the set completely unexpected to the brunette.

"Sorry, I'm late. Traffic's a bitch," he rushed in and randomly asked anybody inside the room.

She was completely dumbfounded to find him there in the set of her office. "What are you doing here?"

"Oh hey babe," Tk greeted with a grin. "You didn't tell me you're taking the shots."

"I'm not. And don't tell me you're modeling," she sounded so surprised.

"That's why I'm here."

"Okay, get Mr. Takaishi to the dressing room people!" Rodrigo called out, and instantly the cosmetics crew ushered him to the dressing room.

Kari turned to her older brunette friend. "Mimi! You didn't tell me he was gonna be here!"

"I didn't know!" she laughed.

"So, listen here you two," Rodrigo called out to his two assistants and taught them how to use the camera and how to position it to capture images and angles beautifully while they were waiting for the models.

When Aika and Tk came back in the set, she noticed how nicely the Salvatore Ferragamo jeans clung to his waist and the unbutton black polo that revealed the amazingly shaped tanned abs he had. She couldn't help but curse to herself at how in the world was God so generous of giving him the body all women died of wanting to lie next to in bed.

She pushed back her thoughts and looked at him like the way she always does – with poison. As if he was the beast in her life that she couldn't help but be mad at.

The two models stood in front of the white background and got ready for the shooting.

"Okay, you two, position yourselves," Rodrigo called out. "Aika, move closer to him and put your left palm on his chest. Tk, put your right hand on her waist. Ok, good. Stay still."

Flash.

"Good! Now, Aika, put your arms around his neck and move more closer. Crane your neck girl. And Tk, hold her back and lean your head down to her neck like a vampire about to suck her blood out."

They did as what the professional cameraman said.

"There! Perfect!" Flash.

All the while they were being taken photos, Kari couldn't help but fix her eyes towards Tk's hands on Aika's body and how the female model drew her figure against him. Something burned inside her and she couldn't understand why she felt near the borderline of being annoyed. She pursed her lips tightly without being conscious at how she was already gritting her teeth while she watched Aika in front of the blonde, leaning to his body that was standing firmly behind and wounding her arms around his neck.

Mimi noticed how rigid Kari seemed to look and whispered to her. "Hey, are you ok?"

And suddenly, she snapped back to reality. "Oh, yeah. I'm cool. It's just, ugh, kinda hot. That's all." She faked a smile.

"Lie down on the floor Aika and just prop your left knee up," Rodrigo said. "Tk, please take off your shirt and lie on top of her. Balance yourself with your elbows."

And they again did as what they're told.

"Ok, ok. That's good." He began to take photos.

The feeling kicked in again. _That little bitch. She doesn't even look hot. How could they take him to shoot with her when she looks like a beggar beside him? _Kari thought. She doesn't understand why she's acting that way. Why is she being bitchy all of a sudden? Isn't it that she's jealous of the model who was under Tk right now? No she couldn't, she refused to. That was stupid. Only submissive women get jealous and she isn't one. No, she isn't.

Well, at least, that's what she's trying to tell herself.

After the photoshoot, Kari quickly bid herself good bye to her colleagues without staying for a while to chat with them and took the elevator down to the lobby, where she would wait for the blonde. Sitting on the couch for fifteen minutes, she was already getting impatient and vexed.

When the elevator doors opened, she saw Aika and Tk both coming out, conversing and smiling to each other. They shook hands and separated ways, Tk walking over to Kari and Aika going towards the door.

"Bye, Kari!" Aika bid politely and the brunette smiled so fake.

"So, what took you so long?" she grabbed her bag and started to walk ahead of him.

"Impatient, aren't we?" he called out as he followed behind her.

"Can we just go already?"

She found his car in the parking lot and got in the passenger's seat. She didn't say anything when he got in and started the engine. She just stared outside the window, crossing her arms and stayed silent.

"Well, Aika was hot," he said.

She didn't respond to his statement.

"What? No bullshit or any complaint, Kamiya?" he asked as he noticed her silence. They were on the road, between traffic and it seems that the ride home was going to be long.

"Now you want bullshit? I thought you'd had enough? Or did Aika got you so into it?" She snapped.

"Woah. What's up with the attitude?"

"Whatever," she muttered.

"Seriously, what's up with you? Are you bipolar?" he laughed.

"Bipolar your ass. Go fuck Aika for all I care."

"What the hell? What does Aika have to do with this?" he got startled when she shot her response. "Oh, now I know. You're jealous aren't you?"

"What? Why would I be jealous of he-"

"Don't be so shy and admit that you're just jealous. Don't be ashamed. I completely understand," he laughed.

"God, you're such a big-headed jerk. I. AM. NOT. JEALOUS. Okay?"

"And you're so defensive about it. It's okay babe," he jokingly reassured her. "It's normal."

He grinned to himself while fixing his eyes on the road when the traffic loosened. He added, "Don't get upset. You're way better than her. She doesn't even stand a chance against you."

She let out a snort. "I know I'm better than her. So why are you pressing the issue?"

"Aha! You are trying to compete with her! See, you are jealous."

"Am not! This is a ridiculous and immature argument and I'm dropping it."

"Right. Cause you just refuse to admit it."

By the time they arrived at home, the brunette was still in a bad mood and Tk kept teasing her about the subject. He got a shitful of amusement watching her frowned lips and crunched eyebrows while she just had it with his teasing.

"You just couldn't take it, can you? Seeing me with a hotter chic?" he joked, opening the front door for her.

"First of all, she's not hotter than me. And second, you can go fuck Pamela Anderson or make out with Blake Lively and I won't give a damn," she firmly answered back.

He turned the television on to news channel and left it there while he followed Kari to the counter and caught her, trapping her against the wall between his two arms. He drew his head closer to hers with a heart-stopping faint-causing grin as he watched her steady angry face, with her lips pressed together as if to repress the fact that she was now once again, dominated by him. Again, the helpless prey of the gorgeous inescapable predator.

"You're really cute when you're angry," his breath was intoxicating, his voice was enticing. And she balled her fist on her side to restrain herself from hyperventilating in front of him.

She lifted her chin up and gathered everything in her to avoid breaking her voice when she speaks. "I know exactly what you want tonight."

He smiled and let out a chuckle. "It ain't fun if you give in quickly you know," he said as he moved his head to her side by her ear and whispered sensually, "Men like the chase."

Carefully, he planted a kiss under her ear and travelled his lips along her jaw.

She started to breathe unevenly but managed to speak out. "I didn't say I was giving in," and consequently, she put her hands on his shoulders and pushed him away, escaping form the trap of his strong toned arms.

She turned her back to him as he ran his fingers through his hair in puzzlement. A small laugh escaped his lips in disbelief. "You can't resist me Kamiya."

"Sorry, not in the mood. I'm still mad at you," she said as she watched him look at her.

"Aw c'mon, really?" he persuaded as he came to her again, snaking a hand at the small of her back and pulling her to him. "Well then," he murmured in her face and kissed her nose. "Babe," he then kissed the part under her jaw, just above the neck. "I'm sorry," he continued to trail his kisses to her chin. "For teasing you and saying you were jealous."

Finally, he took her lips slowly and sexily. In careful movements, she responded back as she opened her mouth to let his tongue in. Their lips moved in a slow motion as they both alternately took the other by the tongue. It was mouth-watering delicious and stimulating at the same time.

Now, it became more and more aggressive and excited. He directed her towards the couch and pushed her down.

Her arms circled around his neck and dragged him down on top of her. His hands slid down her leg and lifted it to his waist.

"Why do you always wear jeans? Can't you put on something more penetrating?" he asked as she unbuttoned her polo top.

He kissed her cleavage and every part of her naked skin while she took off his shirt and wandered her hands around his back. She took his mouth again and violently crashed her lips into his, sucking every little piece of it.

They remained to make out for a while when the entertainment news flashed on the tv screen.

"Kari Kamiya was seen in Seattle's Best Coffee this afternoon sitting and talking with a young man just across Vogue Agency. And while going back to the office, she was caught in video by the paparazzi kissing another man which believed to be her colleague…" the woman on the screen spoke as pictures of the brunette in the coffee shop with Davis were displayed and the video where Luke was kissing her cheek played.

This caught the blonde's attention which made him turn his head towards the tv and watched the video. Seeing it, he pulled himself back away from the lying brunette and sat straight on the couch.

He watched the video with a muscle twitching in his lips, creating an irritated frown. Kari made a frustrated look and pulled herself up to touch his face which was directed on the screen. She kissed his jaw and towards the corner of his lips while her hand skimmed down to his naked torso.

"That's nothing," she mumbled as she kissed his shoulder. "I'll explain that later," she looked up to him and pressed her body to his side.

"I wanna have sex," she whispered in luring temptation and neared her lips to his. "Right now," she kissed his mouth enthusiastically and got disappointed when he didn't return it back and pulled away.

"I'm not in the mood," he said coldly without staring at her face.

She frowned, pouting her lips as he looked at his unwelcoming expression. And then all of a sudden, she laughed. "You're jealous now, are you?"

"This isn't about me being jealous," he snapped. "It's about you making all this fuss to get the paparazzi's attention in questioning our public relationship."

"Oh please. That's bullshit," she replied back with a smile. "You're just jealous and you won't admit it."

He gave her a stern look of a face wanting an explanation.

She rolled her eyes. "The guy in the coffee shop is a technician in Vogue who happens to buy coffee that afternoon during my break. And the guy who kissed me on the cheek is my boss, who's gay. Happy?"

He didn't say anything.

"Ugh, if you want something real, here." She looked through her bag for a white mug and rudely handed it over to him. "He wants me to let you sign his mug. He's such a huge fan," she said sarcastically.

He laughed without saying anything.

"Now sign it before I lose my appetite," she crossed her arms and waited for him to do something.

So what he did was put the mug on the table in front of the couch and instinctively pinned down the brunette against the couch.

"Tell me you want me to fuck you right here right now," his rough sexy voice whispered in her ear as his palms rubbed her smooth abdomen.

She breathed heavily, wrapped her legs on his waist and replied, "Cum to me, I've been dying."

_But can you hear me say_

_Don't throw me away_

_There's no way out_

_I gotta hold you some how_

**Cancercute ©opyright**

* * *

><p><strong>[AUTHOR's NOTE]<strong>

**Date Posted:** o2.13.12

**Hi guys! I know it's a short chapter but I just felt like doing it. So, it's valentine's day tomorrow and I've got a lot of schoolwork. So make me happy by giving me the most awesome review! Stay tuned for the next chapter of Unintentional Affair.**

**Song: I wanna touch you **by** All American Rejects**


	9. Sex in Crazy Places

**CHAPTER IX**

**SEX IN CRAZY PLACES**

_I know you want me girl_

_You think about me in your mind, am I right? Yeah_

_I think about you too_

_I'm feelin' right here deep inside, it's all right yeah_

Two months. It's been two fucking months since they've been engaging to sex almost every night and well, almost anywhere. Two months of waking up in his room… But she gotta admit, it was madly wild and sensational. She never had sex like that before in her life and there was something about him that makes her keep coming back for more.

For now, life is absolutely great.

Earlier that morning, when she came in, Luke just broke the news to her that she got a promotion from contributor to Articles editor who will be in-charge of the overall content of the magazine. With that event, she now gets the empty office room beside Luke's – her very own bigger private workplace. Her friends congratulated her for the fortunate opportunity and decided to celebrate the step up with drinks later after work.

But those thoughts were merely distractions of what she was really thinking about right now – Tk and sex. Now why would she be thinking about those two hormone-provoking things? Was it because she still can't move on from the delightful feeling she had this morning when she woke up naked in his bed again? Or she just liked the idea of it – having sex with him? Truthfully, she herself could not make sense of why she couldn't concentrate on more important matters right now, like work. In front of her on the desk were a pile of papers, ten drafts of unfinished articles to be put on their next issue and she has to check each of them if they were relevant to their theme. And each of them was approximately five pages long. That was only the beginning though. She has to check schedules, post deadlines of articles, meet with models, photographers and other designer labels for ads in the magazine, etc. How is she going to accomplish these tasks if she's only just finished checking the draft of paper number one?

She remembered something that happened last week when he dragged her to a meeting with one of the Nike franchisers to name a brand new model of Nike Air from his name.

_And you tellin' me things that you wanna do_

_And I got plans to do things too_

_You know I wonder why you took so long and made me have to wait_

_Tell me where we start_

_When she and Tk entered the restaurant Omakaze Fukuru, they looked around until they spotted a middle-aged man around mid 40's calling for their attention. He was with a woman who was about his age and presumably his wife. They were seated in a private corner, secluded among the noise of other diners for them to have a quiet area to talk about things. The two of them came to sit on the opposite side of their table._

_The man stood up and offered his hand, "Mr. Takaishi."_

_The blonde returned the gesture, "Nice to finally meet you Mr. Nissho."_

_Since it was in the middle of the afternoon, they each ordered a cup of coffee and croissants to go with it._

_Mostly it was the two men who engaged in conversations but once in a while the two women would speak and express what they think of their dealing. Mr. Nissho was explaining how they were able to get in their survey that if they named their next Nike Air model after Tk Takaishi, they would probably sell about __¥150,00 where 30% of it will be given to him and all those financial explanations._

_Through the whole discussion, at some point, Kari got tired of the old man speaking and whispered something to Tk while Mr. Nissho was not talking to him. _

"_Does he have anything more to say? I'm bored," she softly murmured under her breath as she took his hand._

"_Let him finish. Now you know how I feel everytime some company makes a deal with me," he replied in a low hushed voice._

"_Just sign the damn paper already. You don't have anything to lose, do you?" she spoke closely to his ear, pecking it lightly so their visitors wouldn't see. She placed his palm on her knee and let it travel up, smoothly under her dress to her flawless inner thigh. "Oh, and uhm… I'm not wearing any underwear."_

_That caught him off guard and made him panic a little bit, creating beads of sweat on his forehead. "Darn it," he cursed. With the attempt of composing himself, he cleared his throat. "Mr. Nissho, I agree to that term. I'll sign it now since, ugh, we have an errand to attend to."_

"_Okay. Great," he handed over a piece of paper and pen. Without giving a second to read on the terms of conditions, Tk quickly signed the paper and excused themselves. _

"_Thank you sir," he got up and shook his hand again. "But we better get going now."_

_They bid goodbye and exited the restaurant with the teasing brunette on his side. His arm was around her waist as they walked to the parking lot to his car. "Don't ever do that to me again," he said when he got in the driver's seat. _

_She closed the door to her side and looked at the defeated expression on his face and without any moment to waste, they made out in the car._

Now she became really distracted from her work. The thoughts about him, about sex, the feeling she felt right now between her legs – tightening, moistening. How could she possibly be this weak, not able to control her urges, making her curl her toes and cross her legs. But she couldn't help it as more trains of affairs flashed to her memory.

_During the fashion week, all the magazine company was in the Institution for Fashion and the Arts. Since Kari had gotten VIP ticket and was with Zoe, Mimi and Sora in the front row, she had invited Tk but was nowhere to be seen when the program was starting. _

_She enjoyed watching as the models paraded in the runway with new beautiful styles of wardrobe. _

"_So where's Tk?" Zoe asked her friend._

"_Isn't here yet. He has a game today and I told him to just come after it's done."_

_During the break of the show, she received a text from the blonde saying he was in the lobby. They both met by the concierge and she was appalled to see him in clean jerseys._

"_What are you wearing?" she asked horrifyingly, afraid to be seen by other people with him in a vey inappropriate clothing. _

"_I haven't had time to pack my tux okay," he explained._

"_Ugh, come on," she took his wrists and dragged him all the way at the backstage in the dressing room. He shoved him in a large room full of racks of clothes for men and women. Thankfully, no one was around to see her browse through the line of garments._

"_Technically, you're stealing," he pointed out._

"_No, I'm borrowing," she threw him a black tuxedo and slacks. He put it on the table and pulled off his shirt, exposing his lean torso. Seeing this, Kari quickly looked away. But instead of putting on the formal attire, Tk came closer to her back and grabbed her breasts, which made the brunette shriek at the sudden touch. _

"_You make me horny, you know that?" he whispered in her ear with his raspy voice._

_With that, she put her arm around his neck and kissed his mouth. He hastily unzipped her scarlet red tube dress and pulled it down to her waist. He kissed her forcefully while his hands marveled her skin and at the same time, cupped her bra-covered breasts enthusiastically. They continued kissing as she leaned on the side of the table for support and she twisted her torso towards him. He squeezed her perfectly carved ass and lifted her on the table. Their tongues were in each others' mouth, eating the other passionately while she wrapped her legs around the blonde's waist. He leaned towards her as she arced her body against him. _

_He couldn't resist shoving his manhood to the joint between her legs. She oohh-ed and aahh-ed while he kneads her breasts and rubbed his boner hard against that location on the junction of her legs beneath the fabric of her dress. Soon enough she was only in her underwear while he was in his boxers._

_He excitedly unclipped her bra, throwing it to the side and kissed her from her collarbone, around her breasts and sucked her hardened nipples. Her breathing became rough at the intense amount of pleasure he gave her, which made her dig her nails into his back._

_Finally, they missed the remaining part of the fashion show and they ended up spontaneously fucking each other on the table inside the dressing room._

_Let's sit down i need to kill time_

_Sweep me off my feet after some wine_

_Slowly please undress me_

_I ain't even playin' when I say_

_We startin' now_

Kari rubbed her face with her palms and looked at the unmoved papers on her table. It was nearing noon and she still hasn't accomplished anything. If she were to blame anything right now, it'd be her hormones for making her feel so horny at the moment.

She couldn't take lunch anytime soon if she's gonna need something else to satisfy her immense hunger. _Damn him, _she thought of the blonde. _Why does he do this to me?_

It's so unhealthy to want him every single moment of the day. She's aware that she has other things to keep in mind of. For all she knows, he's out there in the gym preparing and concentrating on his game while she was here, helplessly thinking of him and his dick.

She remembered an incident just earlier this week when came home late, almost 10pm and was surprised to see that Tk wasn't there yet.

_Since she had a bad day at work, she made up her mind to relax for a while. She took a neatly folded towel in the cabinet of the living room bathroom and headed outside to the swimming pool. The night was still, dark and quiet. It wasn't hot nor was the breeze to cold. It was just right for a little while to have a dip in the pool._

_She put on her two-piece bikini and descended down the stairs of the swimming pool. She immersed herself under the water and came back up again. Taking two laps of swimming strokes from one side to the other, her muscles relaxed down, enabling her to close her eyes and float her body on the water. _

_It wasn't long before she heard his voice speak up. "What's with taking a night swim?"_

"_I need to unwind. All these work is making my muscle sore," she replied calmly. _

_He smiled cockily to himself and took off his shirt, leaving him in his board shorts to submerge in the water. He came to her back and placed his hands on her shoulders. "I happen to be good at massages, lucky for you."_

_His hands worked their magic on her shoulders, massaging them nicely. She closed her eyes, feeling the goodness and wonder of his touches. "That feels so good," she gave his handworks some compliment._

_This time, his hands slowly slip form her shoulders to her arms and kissed her shoulders. She laid her head to his chest and let him touch her bare skin. He pulled her to the edge of the pool, trapping her against the wall. Slowly, he took her lips and chewed it leisurely. It wasn't aggressive or hard, but sweet and sexy at the same time. He savored the taste of her plump lips while she did the same to his. Gradually opening her mouth, to let in his tongue, she encircled her arms around his neck and tussled his wet golden hair. _

_She was now grinding her whole body against him in the water. Breaking away from his kisses, she distanced herself from him and looked at his questioning face. She pulled her bra string from behind and left the garment floating away. He smiled at her and quickly, he took her back, bending his head to her chest and vigorously sucked her nipples and licked circles around them. _

_She gasped at his instant actions and whimpered in ecstasy. He aroused all sensations in her, bringing electrifying shivers down to her spine. She clutched her fingers on his shoulders and dug her nails deep into his skin. Her legs were already weakening but he still got hold of her firmly. Both his hands slipped down under her panty and pressed her ass against him, pulling the bikini down. Her legs worked their way out of the garment, leaving it to float in the water. Now it was all flesh against water._

_Without wasting time, her hands came to the band of his shorts and dragged it down to his legs which he eagerly took off. Trapped between the tiled wall and the muscled blonde Adonis, naked in all glory with his full body pressing down to hers, she threw her head and breathed loudly. She felt him, so hard and so big and so good that she didn't want to let go._

_He spun her around so that her back was against his chest. He cupped his hand on her breasts and massaged it while his other hand was just below her belly button. Her arms found her neck and she her mouth reached for his. Their kiss was aggressive and their tongues touched madly._

She knows how spectacular it happened. And she tried so hard to brush the thoughts away… but they just keep coming back.

One thing she knows is that she needs to get out of this dream state and face reality. Her thoughts got interrupted when she heard a knock on her door.

"Yes? Come in," she called out and Zoe entered her office.

"Hey, do you wanna have lunch with us Miss Articles editor?" she laughed. "We're eating at Subway."

"Sounds good. Count me in," she automatically said, smiling, and got up her seat to spend the remaining time with her girls.

* * *

><p><em>Round and round, up and down, up in this bed<em>

_I don't want you to forget_**  
><strong>

After office hours, the girls decided to take a night out and celebrate Kari's promotion with hard drinks. If there was a person who needed to get away from all the troubles of confusion with what's real and not, or the truth and lies, it'd be Kari.

She knows well that everything going on around her was real, but what she's baffled with was how these realities manifest themselves into her life. Were these real truths or real lies?

They came to The Grill, a small bar lounge in the heart of Tokyo where all clubs are open every night and neon lights glowed and blinked at the entrance of each. The place was a medium sized enough to fit several table, a counter and two pool tables. It wasn't an expensive place but it attracted people because it was kinda shabby and yet very cozy. And they decided to go here since it was a perfect paparazzi-free spot. If she'd go out and get wasted, she'd rather choose somewhere where no reporters would see her and make up another interestingly fake story.

The four girls entered the place and took the table in the far right corner where the whole view of the room could be seen. They ordered their dinner when the waitress came to their service.

"I saw that news last week in Etv when they caught a picture of you with one of the technicians, and a video with Luke.. What's up with that?" Mimi asked taking a sip of her pink lemonade while they all waited for their meals.

"Ugh, that was the most stupid thing anyone could do to me. Since you guys abandoned me last week during the afternoon break, I had to go to Seattle's Best alone. And luckily Davis was there to buy coffee so I just asked him to tag along with me. And that video with Luke, you know how gay he is," they all laughed at her statement. "He wanted me to ask for Takaishi's signature… for his mug!"

"Really? Oh my gosh. He's so into your boyfriend," Zoe expressed her reactions.

The brunette raised eyebrow in response and the blonde girl rolled her eyes. "Fine, fake boyfriend."

"What kind of woman hooks up with a fake boyfriend every night?" Sora interrupted.

Kari snapped her head to her direction, shocked. "What?"

"Oh c'mon Kari. I see the same look of 'fulfillment' in your face, especially when you come in trying to restrain an obvious smile, everyday. It's obvious, you know!" The older woman giggled. "So how is it?"

She blushed at the fact how her friends can see right through her and be so oblivious at how crystal clear they know what's happening with her life.

"Yeah Kari. How's sex with the famous Tk?" Mimi pressed the conversation, interested with her answer.

"It's.. well.. uhm.. it's..," she tried to look for words how to describe it but settled for the truth. "It's amazing."

The girls cheered and teased her, laughed at how she blushed when asked about her private life.

"Can we stop talking about me now? It's really embarrassing, okay," she tried to avoid the topic. "So, Mimi, how's you and your boyfriend?"

"Matt? He's out there, on tour. His band will be having a concert in the Philippines tomorrow. We won't see each other for three more months though," the other brunette shared.

"Is it hard?" Zoe inquired. "I mean not seeing each other for a long time."

"We get used to it. Yeah, sometimes it is. I do miss him, but we make up for the lost time when he comes back."

"Yeah, look at Zoe. I don't think any man has ever caught her eye," Sora pointed out.

"You're right.. So why haven't you gone dating?" asked Kari.

The blonde groaned at the usual question that was bombed to her. Yes she's pretty, beautiful rather, smart, funny, doing good in her job, but the only thing she lacks is a man.

She smirked. "I'm a lesbian." And the others had their eyes wide open in shock.

"I'm kidding!" the pretty blonde laughed. "I don't know guys. I guess I'm focusing on my career..? Well, it's not my fault I haven't found a guy yet."

The waitress soon served their meals and they started to eat their dinner. They engaged in long conversations, laughs, shared thoughts and plans, ordering martinis in the middle. They talked about boys, clothes, what they think of the other people at work and anything else under the sun.

It took them hours until they reached a point of alcohol intoxication from finishing a pitcher of Flirtini, to Sex of the Beach and now were halfway empty of their Hollywood Martini.

They were all feeling tipsy and yet were not in the mood to go home. Kari excused herself to the ladies room and tried to wash her face, reapplied make-up and combed her hair. As she got out of the washroom, she noticed the group of guys playing billiard on the left corner of The Grill. There were four of them, each looking vaguely familiar but the one that stood out was the tall, blonde man whom she very well know was him.

She cleared her head and forced herself to walk straight towards him. From his back, she tapped his shoulder and greeted him with a smirk.

"What are you doing here?" she asked, leaning on the edge of the pool table.

"Celebrating another win. You?" he answered back as he continued to play the game, hitting the ball with his cue (the stick used in playing pool) and making two balls hit the hole.

"Same. I got a promotion," she watched him play, then smiled and said hello to his friends whom she already knows.

"Oh Yeah?" he asked curiously.

"Mm hm."

"So, who you with?" he asked, concentrated on the ball he was about to hit.

"My boyfriend," she joked.

And he missed the shot. "What?" He spun to look at her laughing face.

"Relax. I'm kidding," she leaned forward to him, her face tilted up near his. "Don't get so uptight. It's not good for a player." She smirked and pulled back.

"I'm with my friends."

He snorted and grinned. "You amuse me, babe. Tell 'em to come play pool with us."

So she invited her friends to join Tk and his friends to play and more drinks came along. They all became acquainted, talked, joked and laughed for having a good time. As the time flew faster, the more drunk the girls were. Boys however do have stronger alcohol tolerance.

By the time it reached one o'clock, the girls bid goodbye to Kari and the rest, deciding to take a cab home. They thanked their company for a good time, leaving the brunette with the boys.

An hour later, the rest started to disappear and all that was left the two.

"Okay this game is getting boring," she complained and started rambling nonsense. "They all left us."

He laughed. "You're drunk."

"No, just inebriated," she pointed out and noticed that all the customers were gone and it was only just the two of them. "Where are all the people?"

"Home. The bar's closing now," he took his turn to hit the ball.

"So why aren't we leaving yet? I feel woozy."

"Coz I have a key."

"Why do you have a key?"

"My mom owns this place," he explained.

"Really?" she replied in an amazed tone. "Why does she own this place?"

He laughed at her again for her stupid questions. "You really are drunk." He looked at her smiling face and became amused. "You know what, why don't we put a little dare to our game, eh? To make it a little exciting."

"But I'm not good at it," she frowned and took another shot of vodka mix.

"I'll give you a headstart," he smiled. "So what's the dare?"

"If I win…" she thought for a second. "Oh, I don't know. Can't we just play 20 questions?" She began to act childish and be all over the place while Tk just continued to play pool by himself, letting Kari do whatever she wants.

"Sure," he sighed. "Whatever you want."

"Why do always fight me?" she asked, looking around the bartender's counter. All the employees have gone home, which means Tk will be closing the bar himself as he always does when he stays overnight.

He laughed. "I like fighting with you." It made him stop concentrating on the billiard balls and watched her go around the counter looking for a stool.

"You're mean. Where are the stools in here? And why do you keep on playing pool? Don't you get bored, coz I find it boring and you don't have anyone to play with. It's not fun, don't you know how to have fun? You're so weird playing by yourself alone," she rambled and found a stool. She placed it by the bar and climbed up to the counter.

"Maybe you're lonely.. You know, like in movies, when the guy has a problem, he does something by himself like I don't know.. drink, smoke, get wasted. It's so disgusting. Why do they even do that?" She continued on speaking and slowly walked on the counter on her heels, looking for the bottles of vodka and other ingredients.

"Woah, careful, you might fall," Tk abruptly went below her, guiding her incase she falls. "What are you doing?"

"I'm looking for vodka," she opened cabinets above her and traveled from one end to the other of the counter in search for the things she need. "Have you seen any? Yoo hoo, where are you? Vodka, vodka, vodka.."

He burst in laughter at her enthusiasm. "You might break something."

"Oh, I can't find them," she sulked and sat down the counter of the bar. "Can't you go look for them?"

"Nope, you've had enough to drink," he said, looking at her with amusement as he held her by the waist. "Besides, I thought we were playing 20 questions."

"We were? But you didn't ask me anything when it was your turn. See you're not fun at all. And you don't even want to go look for vodka. You're such a killjoy!"

"And you're such a child. You know that? I can't believe I'm talking to a drunk girl," he smiled.

"Coz I'm fun," she smiled back as she wound her amrs around his neck. Between the silence and staring at each other, she pulled him closer and kissed him slowly and affectionately. And as much as he knew how her state was, he responded back. It was soft, gradual.. and how their tongues danced, it was like tango – sweet, gentle and at the same time, very sexy.

While kissing him, she couldn't restrain herself from laughing and she pulled back.

"What's so funny?" he wondered while he too, laughed at her reactions.

"Nothing," and yet she continued laughing. Amused with her, he kissed the tip of her nose and now in her lower lip. She kissed him again, and he locked his fingers with hers as he held her hand. But after a while, Kari pulled back and leaned to the side of Tk's face.

"Uhh, my head hurts," she whined, closing her eyes to the throbbing pain she felt.

He pulled back and looked at her, removed the strands of hair on her face and tucked it by her ear. He touched her face softly, tracing the contours with his fingers and marveled at her drunken beauty.

He kissed her forehead before saying "C'mon, let's get home and put you to bed."

"Yes please, I want to sleep," she rested her head on his shoulders, then he lifted her up and scooped her in his arms. With the lightheadedness she felt, she clung onto him like a koala on a bamboo and cuddled against his Bvlgari scented chest.

_Hope you remember my perfume, on you_

_After I Sex you down_

_One o'clock, two o'clock, three o'clock, four_

_Hope you come back for more_

**Cancercute ©opyright**

* * *

><p><strong>[AUTHOR's NOTE]<strong>

**Now Playing: Perfume** by** Chris Brown ft. Rich Girl**

**Date Posted: o4.o3.12**

**Forgive me for my late update but i hope you enjoyed this chapter!**


	10. At Least Out Loud, I Won't Say It

**CHAPTER X**

**At Least Out Loud, I Won't Say It**

_If there's a price for rotten judgment_

_I guess I've already won that_

_No man is worth the aggravation_

_That's ancient history, been there done that_

The forceful sound of the strong pouring rain woke him up from his deep slumber. With effort, he opened his eyes and scanned around the room until his sight landed on the sleeping brunette beside him. Her arm laid motionlessly on his chest and she was snuggled close beside him.

He tried to remember what happened last night and became amazed when he realized they didn't have sex. This was the first time they woke up in the same bed without touching each other the night before. It was a little surprising because usually, it wasn't like this. Looking under the covers, it was proven that they didn't do it. They were both fully clothed… well, except for him. He was half naked for sleeping topless since he couldn't sleep with a shirt on.

He watched her doze on his bed and studied her features again.. how her thick long black eyelashes curled, her pale lips puckered without lipstick, her creamy smooth skin, her perfect cheekbones.. It was as if she belonged to one of those characters in Greek mythology. If she wasn't Aphrodite, she'd be the most beautiful nymph ever existed.

Her sleep was so peaceful and she looked calm, a serene beauty beside him in a breezy rainy morning. When he caressed her face and breathed in her fragrant lavender scented hair, he started to contemplate on the things that had happened between the two of them. From all the quarrels and fights when they first met, to the teasing and pretending when she got involved in the press, to the present time when they began to become intimate with each other… everything he's been through with her made him smile, despite the wrecked Lamborghini, the paparazzi chase, and the massive amount of insults. His lifestyle was never like this before. When she came into his life, a spark happened. There was spice, excitement and everyday was never a dull moment. Even if she did get to his nerves once in a while, the truth is that she makes him feel alive.

Through it all, he has to admit, he loved the mornings when he finds her by his side.

Loved?

Now that's a strong word. And it made him question what they were really doing. With all this charade of publicly dating but privately having an affair. Is it just all an act? She did say before, it was just sex. No strings attached. Friends with benefits. That's all.

But is it really that all?

Why was he beginning to have doubts? To be confused? Sometimes, he thought, he wanted to talk to her about this, just to clear things up. But like she said, she wasn't those kind of girls who overacts or over thinks with everything that happens.. that she can handle herself. Even though, he still wanted to know what's going on in her head, what she thinks of this, and what she really feels.

But he was too chicken to open up the topic. Afraid to get serious around her, that she might make fun of what he actually think isn't humorous. After all, she wasn't the type of girl who's so expressive about that particular kind of feeling.

He heaved a loud sigh which made the brunette stir a little. A few moments then, she woke up and found herself beside him, cuddled against the heat of his bare upper body.

"What happened? Fuck my head hurts," she groaned.

"It's early in the morning and you already cuss," he commented. "You were drunk last night."

"I was? God," she rubbed her face with her palms, distancing herself from him a little bit and looked at the ceiling.

"Guess what?" he said.

"What?"

"We didn't have sex," he stated bluntly.

"Oh, really? Well, that's interesting."

"You talked nonsense last night."

"Shit. I didn't say anything stupid, did I?" she looked at him.

"Hmm, not really.." he started. "You did say I was hot, and that you liked having sex with me.. and you liked me." He smirked.

She playfully slapped him on the shoulder and threw him a look of horror and astonishment. "No I didn't! I never said that!"

This time, his laugh got louder. "How can you be so sure? You never remembered anything. And why are you being defensive?"

"I'm sure because I'd never say that even if the crows turn pink. And I am not defensive!"

"Sure, Kamiya. I still remember everything you said."

"Hahaha," she said sarcastically. "Your jokes aren't funny."

"Who said I was joking?"

She shot him an evil glare.

"Fine, I was kidding. Come here," he took her and pulled her closer beside him so her head would be below his chin.

She drew lazy circles on his chest with her finger as they stayed quiet for a moment. Their mornings wouldn't usually be like this. Maybe because it was the weather due to the rain outside that makes them stay in bed longer, cuddling. Or was it something else?

It took her a while before a thought sank in her. Why did she suddenly feel a sort of comfort and warmth when he wrapped his arms around her? And not the literal meaning of it. She could feel her heartbeat hurtling like a horse on a race which made her think of things that made her blush. And she wasn't the type of girl who'd blush over those mushy stuff. Thankfully, she was facing away from him that he couldn't see how red her cheeks were right now. Why was she blushing anyway? She felt like some kind of a seventeen-year-old teenager who's in the brink of her first love.

Love?

That's a whole different level there. And does she even know what love is? How would she know if she's in love or if it's just an infatuation? Twenty-three is in fact too young of an age to know or fully grasp the meaning of love. One can't know what that abstract thing really is – if it's a feeling, an idea, a concept or even a state of mind. It takes a lifetime to define love.. and sometimes, it even takes death to actually fathom what it is.

For now, however, she can't tell.

What was she doing anyway? What's with all these theatrics with him? For a game she was playing a part of, she felt as if she was deceiving herself into these engagements with him .. or even having a doubt and unconsciously falling in it. This was all too knew to her. And she let herself fall into this position, damning herself into a situation because she never knew what she'd get herself into.

Or did she? Because maybe, just maybe, she wanted to know how it felt like to be part of him? To be with him..

Nonetheless, she took the risk and will face the consequences later. Deal with whatever fate's gonna bring as long as she seizes the moment and be happy. Yes, she isn't gonna lie.

He makes her happy and that's a fact. Despite all those dispute and anger she expressed toward him, she never felt the same degree of emotion to anyone as much as she did to him.

He makes her feel alright even with all those offenses he gave her. And at that very second, she didn't want to get out of bed and part from his sweet embrace.

Even she puts up a strong front, a brave face and give that I'm-not-that-kind-of-girl and i-can-take-care-of-myself expression, deep inside, all she wants is to be cared for. Someone who'd make her feel like a vulnerable little girl and still won't hurt her no matter what.

She never wanted to be cheated that's why she puts up that wall between herself and someone who has the ability to be extremely close to her. But now, slowly, that wall begins to break down as her sexual properties were invaded. And realized that every moment, she gets so vulnerable when he's too near, when he touches her, when he smiles..

Why is she so soft and feeble now? Easily falling for those feelings she kept shut. And to think, from the moment they met, she already hates him. What happened to that?

She mentally laughed at herself. How could she be such a fool to fall for someone she constantly argues with? Is it because of that famous line "the more you hate, the more you love"? For all she knows, it was bullshit.

But whatever shit she's feeling right now, she likes it. She likes him.

And that's all that matters.

But, does he like her too? That's something she'll never know until time comes or unless she asks him. But since she was too much of a coward to talk to him seriously, she won't have a clue for now. And she'd never dare to ask… Because guys always like the sex, not the real feelings and commitment.

"Tell me something, were you a little disappointed when you knew we didn't have sex?" she asked him, watching his reactions.

He thought for a moment. "A little, yeah. But I like being with you."

And she couldn't stop her smile from reaching her ear because hearing this from him, it was all she wanted.

"Yeah right," and she kissed him on the lips, carefully and affectionately. It was short and sweet.. Something that says she cares.

When their lips parted, she suddenly felt a pain in her stomach. It was a weird nauseating feeling that made her quickly rise up from the bed and run to the bathroom.

She pulled her hair up and vomited in the toilet.

"Are you alright?" Tk asked when he heard her cough a lot.

"Yeah," she shouted from the toilet. "Don't come in here. I'm disgusting."

The pain in her head and stomach didn't cease even after she stopped throwing up. Breathing heavily, she leaned back the wall and lifted her head up, shutting close her eyes from the throbbing. Beads of sweat formed in her forehead and rubbed her fingers against her temples.

It was an extremely distressing condition that it took her a great effort to face the mirror, turn on the faucet and wash her face. She appeared so pale in her reflection, but she couldn't do anything about it.

She gargled mouthwash before returning to Tk and sitting at the edge of the bed. The blonde got up and asked her if she was okay and she responded with a nod.

"You look pale," he noted.

"Probably just the effect of drinking. It'll go back to normal later," she said.

"Ok," he stood up and grabbed a towel. "But I gotta get to training. We have game 2 of finals tomorrow." He kissed her cheek before entering the bathroom.

She laid there on the bed, a hand on her forehead and debated if she'll go to work. But what the hell, there isn't anything better to do anyway.

* * *

><p><em>Who do you think you're kiddin'<em>

_He's the earth and heaven to you_

_Tryin' to keep it hidden_

_Honey we can see right through you_

_Girl you can't conceal it _

_We know how you feel _

_And who you're thinking of_

She came to work with a different mood. It wasn't her usual bright and happy face but a tired, sickly and haggard looking one which caught the attention of her friends. Without even reaching her office space, she took a detour and hastily ran toward the bathroom.

She banged open one of the cubicle doors and threw up again. The pain in her head didn't subside. It was still there lingering, preventing to keep herself focus on today's agenda.

Consequently, she flushed the toiled and walked over to the sink, staring at her pale face in the mirror. She massaged her temples and then rinsed her mouth and washed her face again. Leaning back against the wall, she drew a relatively significant amount of air and breathed out again. It took a while before she managed herself and go back to her desk.

By the time she was able to sit down in her chair, someone knocked against the door and Zoe peeped inside before the brunette could answer.

"Hey, you don't look very well," the blonde noted and stood in front of her with only the table between them.

"I'm fine," she answered nonchalantly while rummaging through the papers she never had the chance to finish editing.

"Tk called while you were in the restroom. He said you weren't answering your phone."

"Oh, did he leave a message? What did he say?" she looked at her friend this time.

"He said call him right back. It's important."

Kari nodded.

"And I think you should get the day off, you really look sick. It won't hurt to take a break y'know," smiled Zoe before stepping out the room and closing the door.

Now, she took her cellphone from her bag and saw 1 missed call from Takaishi. She pressed call mobile and waited for him to answer through the other line.

When she heard him speak, she responded, "What?"

_Really? You greet with a what?_ He laughed on the other line.

"I'm serious, what do you need?"

_Come down. I'm outside your office. _

"Why?"

_You're taking a break. Zoe said you looked sick. _

"Ha? Really? I thought you had practice."

_Coach's taking us the day off. Plus, it's better to relax before playing tomorrow. Just go down already._

"And what am I going to do when I go down?"

_I'm taking you out._

It took a while for her to absorb that statement. "Really? Because the press hasn't written about you anything recently? Do you wanna let them know you're still alive?" she mocked playfully.

_That has nothing to do with this. Just come down and don't make me go up there and make a scene._

"They won't let you in, you know," she stated as a matter-of-factly.

He snorted. _Pft, I am Tk Takaishi. I'm allowed anywhere._

"Fine, already. Just a sec."

She took her bag and put her phone inside, and for once, obeying the blonde's orders.

When she passed by Sora's table, she told her "Tell Luke I'm taking the day-off." She smiled and quickly exited.

By the time she reached the lobby, she spotted Tk turning back surprised to see how casual he was looking now instead of his usual sportswear.

"Hey," she spoke, making him turn towards her direction. Surprisingly, she was struck at how he wore his black button down shirt with a little chest exposed and his jean. He definitely looked fine today more than any other. And she tried not to make her smile turn into a grin.

"Let's go," he smiled and involuntarily put her under his arm.

"Where are we going exactly?"

"You'll see."

* * *

><p><em>No chance no way<em>

_I won't say it no no_

_You swoon you sigh _

_Why deny it uh oh_

_It's too cliché_

_I won't say I'm inlove_

He drove all the way outside the city of Tokyo to the hillside where he stopped just beside the bottom of a hill with steps leading up.

"We're hiking?" she asked in shock and nervousness as she got out of the car.

"Yep," he replied leading the way through the rocks, trees and dirt. "It's gonna be great. You'll see." He smiled.

"I can't walk all the way up there wearing my office clothes," she protested as she followed behind him, carefully stepping on the flat surfaces with her black pumps. Inconveniently, she was wearing a black pencil skirt and a silky pink halter-top beneath her blazer.

He looked at her from top to bottom and replied, "then take off your shoes."

She scrunched up her eyebrows. "No."

He sighed loudly and rolled his eyes. "Fine," and with one swift movement, he carried her on his arms bridal style and started walking.

"Hey! Let me down," she said clinging to him in support. "Fine, fine. I'll walk in barefoot."

He snickered as he let her down carefully. She held his arm as she took of her shoes and carried them.

"Wow, the cement's so cold."

They walked for about thirty minutes up the hill while Kari kept on complaining.

"This better be worth it Takaishi. I've never done anything strenuous in my life other than volleyball in gym class." She took off her blazer as she began to feel the heat.

He laughed. "I promise you, you won't regret this."

After a few minutes, they reached the top of the hill and the first thing she saw was a dim little café with no customers but only an old lady behind the counter running the place.

The place was warm and cozy and was made of wood. Every furniture in the place was wooden and the lights came from only colorful lamps, much like those Japanese lanterns, that hung above the ceiling. It was homey and lovely.

"Come here," he took her right hand with his left and ushered her towards the door. She dropped her heels and blazer on a table nearby and followed him.

He opened the door and the sun penetrated through the dim café. It was suddenly bright as he lead her outside where there was a vast meadow with nothing but green grass tickling her ankles, and different kinds of flowers growing everywhere in every color, and the cold breeze that brushed against her skin could be felt. She let out a breath in amazement and stared at the scenic view of Tokyo in front of her eyes.

It was amazing.

"Wow," she whispered in astonishment. "It's so beautiful." She didn't take off her eyes around her. Everything was just so natural and green. She wasn't so used to seeing much of whatever that was outside the city, let alone at the top of a hill.

"It's even more beautiful at night," he said watching her amazed face.

He guided her as they strolled around the place, admiring the breathtaking view which she tried to take all in. She was so caught up with the sight and he, engrossed with her reactions, that they haven't noticed they're still holding each other's hand.

"How did you find this place?" she said with a curious smile, looking up to him.

"My mom took me out here once and.. it became my secret hide out whenever I wanted to be alone," he explained, a little hesitant though in the last part.

Her smiled widened as she watched his expressions. "Secret hideout?"

He pursed his lips. "Don't laugh."

"I won't. It's cute," she said staring into his magnetic blue eyes. They gazed at each other for a while before she broke it, looked away through the view and spoke again.

"You're close with your mom." She said. Not a question.

"Yeah, I am. She's the only one I had after my parents got divorced. I mean, I don't usually see my dad.. and my brother, Matt, was always busy with his band. So yeah."

"How did it feel like?"

"'Twas okay. I mean, I was fine. No problem with it. I just wished I had more people to talk to."

She looked at him this time, tracing with her eyes his face, his bone structure, his sexy and manly stubbles growing by his jaw line, the way his eyes seemed so distant and his crunched eyebrows.

"My mom's been there for me for as long as I remember. And she's the only family I have that I can really talk to. Yeah I do have the guys, my teammates.. but when it comes to family, she's the only one I have."

"I'm sorry," she whispered.

"It's fine," he smiled. "Let's talk about something else. You don't want me sucking up all the good vibes."

"Whatcha wanna talk about?" she took a seat on the grass and looked at the view. He sat beside her too, leaning on his back with his arms supporting him as he planted his palms on the ground.

"What's your favorite color?" he asked.

"What?" she turned to him, surprised at his random question. "What's my favorite color?"

He nodded and she laughed. "I'm gonna say.. green."

"Why green?"

"Coz it's clean and I don't know it's pretty."

"Like your eyes?" he looked at her. She was taken a back, but in a good way and it made her stare at him with an expression full of wonder and curiosity.

"Yeah, like my eyes," she turned to look away as she smiled.

"Favorite movie?" he asked again.

"Easy. Moulin Rouge," she answered proudly.

He made a disgruntled tone. "Ugh."

"What?" she argued. "It was so sweet.. and dramatic! Even it became a tragedy in the end."

"The guy was being stupid. I mean, what kind of moron would act like that? And he comes crashing in the middle of the performance. The dude's crazy."

"He did it for love okay? It was sweet and.. romantic," she defended her stand.

"He knows he's gonna be killed if he sees Satine again. Do you think that's romantic?" he asked in amusement.

"Well, if you put it that way, it does sound idiotic of him. But hey, it's the sacrifice that makes it so passionate. His intense love for her made him step up to a whole other level."

"Is that what you want? For your lover to go through so much just to prove he loves you?"

"I can't clearly see why not."

"Masochist," he muttered with a small laugh.

"I heard that," she remarked. "I'm not masochistic. Sometimes a girl just gotta play hard to know if the guy's really into her. It's gonna end badly.. well, mostly for her part, if she gives in too quickly."

"Is that what you're doing babe? Playing hard to get?" he asked suddenly, nearing his face to hers with a wicked smile.

Her eyes widened as she came face to face with him, and immediately looked away.

"I think I might've done the opposite," she murmured.

He didn't push the conversation anymore but instead snaked his hand around her waist and she jolted up in surprise.

He laughed. "We had sex a thousand times, and now I touch you on the waist you get startled."

She pouted. "That's different. I'm conscious this time. Well, I am conscious when we have sex but.. this is.. well.. ugh. Do I have to explain myself to you Takaishi?" she complained exasperatedly, trying hard not to stutter the words.

"Admit it. I have an effect on you," he shifted so he can face her and pulled her towards him, holding her waist. She propped up her legs and rested them above his.

"Whatever."

He closed the space between them and neared his face upon hers. They didn't say anything. They kept silent for a moment when he bent his head and kissed her bare shoulders. It felt so warm and tingly against the cold breeze. He gave her butterfly kisses from her shoulder to her neck, under her ear, along her jaws, and stopped at the corner of her lips.

She gave in too, and responded back to his actions as she took in his lips. She slowly wound her arms around his neck and curled her fingers into his hair. The movement of their lips was sweet, delicate and chaste. Not to rough, or excited or heavy. It was peaceful, like how they felt at the moment. It took more than a few minutes before they broke the kiss.

She bit her lips and he smiled as they both stared at each other's faces.. and after a while, broke into a string of laughter. They laughed at their reactions and he started poking her in the ribs while she did her best to slap his hand away.

They continued on laughing and as it ebbed, they started talking again. They talked for hours and hours at almost anything. Even the smallest of details, or the unnecessary things.. they talked about them all.

He now laid his back on the ground and she rested on his chest, fondling with the button of his button-up shirt.

"Your Bvlgari perfume is growing on me, you know," she said in-a-matter-of-fact tone and buried her face in his chest.

"Stop inhaling me. I might become scentless," he joked.

"Hahaha. Very funny," she mocked and stuck her tongue out. When nobody spoke, she started humming.

"I look at her and have to smile, as we go driving for a while.."

"You like passenger's seat?" he asked.

"Mm hm," she answered. "It's my favorite song. Yours?" she looked up at him.

"That god-awful noise you once commented that played in my stereo," he laughed.

"Oh that. But it's true!"

"Sure. I like the Backstreet too."

"Yeah, boy bands 're good."

After a while, the sky started to change in the orange color and the sun was setting in front of them.

"Get up! Look at the sun!" she lifted herself and propped beside him as she pulled his arms. "God, you're so heavy!"

"Hold on. Geez, pretty girl."

"Pretty girl?" she raised an eyebrow. "Who are you and what have you done to Tk Takaishi?"

"It's a rare case being nice to you Kamiya, so you better make the most of it," he poked her waist and started tickling her.

"Ohmygosh. Stop it, okay!" she tried wiggling and slapping his hands. "Can't we just watch the sunset?"

She carefully watched him and abruptly poked him on the side. "Sneak attack!"

He immediately got hold of her hands and laughed. "What? Sneak attack?"

"I know it's childish. But I used to do it with my brother when we were young," she stared at the setting sun in front of her as she felt herself being pulled closely beside him.

"You never told me you had a brother."

"I am now. We're really close. He's in L.A. with his fiancée and I usually visit him. We talk a lot and share everything about each other. He's the one person who really know me and it makes me feel lucky to have him," she shared.

At that moment, she realized she was sharing a part of her to someone else. She was never that girl to open up certain kinds of feelings and stories about herself especially to people she doesn't know and couldn't trust yet.

But, could she trust herself to be with him? Share her thoughts to him? Was she ready to be open and be susceptible to this person who has grown on her despite all those pointless arguments?

She sighed and let her mind wander while she focused her stare on the lovely setting sun.

Carefully, he pulled her against his chest and wrapped his arms around her while she let him do so. She closed her eyes, leaned against him and allowed herself to feel the tenderness and affection. She knows how good it felt to be in his arms and uncontrollably, her palms reached for his and their fingers intertwined.

It was the first time ever, since they met that they actually talked. Not speak or argue or debate, but really talk and share things about themselves that they never did. So many months wasted for senseless arguments and childish fights. None of them knew what the other's favorite color, movie, or music us, until now. And that meant something. To her, it meant a lot, and maybe more that it meant to him.

Debating with herself if she should say out loud what's going on in her head right now, she took in all the risk and embarrassment in whispering, "I like this. I'm glad you took me here."

Her heart thumped so hard anticipating for his answer between what she seemed a long pause in silence. She never did for once, told him what her thoughts were or what she really felt deep inside. And to have him know this time made her beyond self-conscious and mortified.

But what she didn't see was how genuine and satisfied his smile was.

He didn't know what to say because at that precise moment… he was happy. Yes, he admitted it was mushy and sentimental but it felt good. So he squeezed her hand and kissed her lavender-scented hair before answering, "Yeah, I'm glad I did too."

_You keep on denying_

_Who you are and how you're feeling_

_Baby, we're not buying_

_Hon, we saw you hit the ceiling_

_Face it like a grown up_

_When you gonna own up_

_That you got got got it bad_

**Cancercute ©opyright**

* * *

><p><strong>[AUTHOR's NOTE]<strong>

**Date Posted:** o4.23.12

**Okay, so does anybody notice how Twilight it looked like? I mean the meadow and the talking? Coz I feel like it is. I've been thinking so hard of a really nice alone time scene between them and I didn't want to but the usual dinner date or whatever. So I hope it's worth it. Send it those reviews and make me happy!**

**See you next chapter! Ciao!**

**Now Playing: I Won't Say I'm In Love** by** Meg**


	11. Some Things We Don't Talk About

**CHAPTER XI**

**Some Things We Don't Talk About**

_Should've kissed you there_

_I should've held your face_

_I should've watched those eyes_

_Instead of run in place_

_I should've called you out_

_I should've said your name_

_I should've turned around_

_I should've looked again_

It was eight am.

Tk and Kari were in the dining room having breakfast before going to work. They were already finishing up when Tk noticed how much the brunette ate that morning. She finished before the blonde did which was unusual, and yet she had a tremendous amount of food on her plate. Still, she looked in the fridge for any more food to bring to work. Scanning the fridge, she leaned her torso forward in search for something good to bring.

Finishing his glass of water, he said, "You eat like a pig today." He walked over behind her leaning figure, just behind her perfectly carved ass and slid his hands on her waist, attempting to hug her from behind.

"Whatever Tk." She straightened her posture and turned to face him, with an arched eyebrow.

"You know, I've noticed.. You never cursed or swore at me anymore lately," he pulled her towards him, holding her ass.

"I'm trying out this new thing called 'being nice'. You should try it more often," she wandered her hands from his chest, up to touch his chin and pecked a kiss on his jaw.

"So if you're not done teasing me, hurry up coz I'm gonna be late for work," she untangled herself from him and walked away to grab her bag on the table. "C'mon, chop chop!"

He smirked at how humorous she could get. "Yes ma'am."

Outside the house, she walked to the passenger's seat of his car and opened the door. He followed and sat behind the steering wheel and threw his sports bag at the backseat.

He drove her to work, which apparently became a habit since that day the paparazzi started an attack on her. He used to abhor the idea when she starts forcing him to drive her and threatening him to tell the press what a bad boyfriend he was. And through those rides they had, he never missed a single moment of enjoyment as he continued insulting or pissing her off.

Today, today was different. Like it has been two months ago when they started fooling around, laughing, making out, having fun. They were happy with each other's company and truthfully, it's a great improvement ever since day 1 when they were trying to strangle each other to death.

"I'm still horny," she said out of a sudden.

"Wow, that was blunt," he laughed looking straight on the road.

"And is your AC even working? It's hot in here," she complained tying her hair and unbuttoning the first two buttons of her top.

"Okaaay," he said surprisingly. "I see where this is going." He smirked still driving.

"Oh really? You do?" she looked at him with a grin on her face.

"You're technically stripping in my car."

"I know. It doesn't always happen, does it?"

He let out a snort, and this time he looked at her, and her exposed chest, smiled and turned his attention to the street.

"Wow. The street is actually more seductive than me," she exclaimed jokingly.

"I didn't mean to hurt your ego baby. But if we end up dead in the middle of the street naked, I won't be able to forgive myself."

He parked the car just beside the main entrance of her office, then he leaned to her with his usual sexy smirk.

"See-you-later kiss?" he smiled.

"Yeah, see you later," she mocked and got out of the car.

"Aw, c'mon! You still turn me on!" he shouted from the car window.

"I know!" She grinned and put her hand up as she turned her back and walked away.

He just smiled to himself and drove to the opposite direction.

She smiled too, unable to contain her enthusiasm and surprisingly, the happiness he makes her feel. Those involuntary smiles she does while thinking of him… it was kinda driving her crazy. _Stupid Takaishi._

On the way up to her office, she felt that pain in her stomach again. That weird feeling that made her think of vomiting, as if she ate something nasty. And then she started to get pale.

"Good morning K," Sora greeted while the brunette was hurrying her way to her cubicle.

"Hi," she greeted back in haste and brisk walked to the toilet leaving Sora with a questioning look on her face.

* * *

><p><em>But oh, I'm staring at the mess I made<em>

_I'm staring at the mess I made_

_I'm staring at the mess I made_

_As you turn, you take your heart and walk away_

During lunch break, Kari, Sora, Mimi and Zoe huddled together on the same table talking about the release of their December issue of the magazine.

"I can't believe we're already trying to get ready for the winter fashion show. We just had fall like last month!" complained Mimi.

"I know right. I haven't even finished that article about Tk," said Kari.

"Oh yeah. I thought you were supposed to turn it in before the October issue's released," Zoe commented.

"I talked to Yuri to move it up to December. Mainly coz I'm not done with it yet coz it's been really hard to focus. Plus I told her it'd be better since championship would be on that month. SO I guess it's more relevant that way."

"Hmm. Good point. And why is it so hard to focus? It's not like you've got two jobs at the same time," laughed Zoe. "All I see lately in the tabs is you and Tk spotted almost anywhere in Tokyo. What's up with that?"

"Ugh I know. I don't understand these people, making a big fuss about small things," Kari took a bite of her ravioli.

"Were you with him that time when you took a day off?" Sora asked in a teasing manner.

"Yeah," she replied with a curious tone.

"I was walking to work one time and I saw a photo of you in the newspaper being carried bridal style by Tk is some sort of forest. What were you even doing there?" Mimi laughed.

"He took me out to this meadow place on top of a hill okay," she bit her lip, struggling to contain her smile, as the thoughts of that moment rushed back in her memory. "We talked and stuff. Coz we never really, you know, talk.. talk."

"Wow, you're always together in that mansion of his and you never talk? Or you just do each other all the time?" Zoe joked and everybody laughed except Kari, who was as red as a tomato, looking down at her food.

"OMG. You guys totally did it!" Mimi squealed excitedly. "And you never told us?"

"Oh my freakin' gosh Kari! How was it?" interrupted Zoe immediately. "I bet it was good."

She was so surprised by all their reactions and said, "It was amazing."

And all the other girls squealed. "You guys are so crazy," laughed Kari and was about to finish the last bite of her ravioli when the pain in her stomach kicked in again, making her cringe and her head throbbed like hell.

"Are you okay?" Sora asked. "You look like you're in pain."

"I'm fine. I just need to go to the bathroom." She excused herself leaving the four girls to finish their lunch.

"She's been acting like she's in a lot of pain lately. Have you ever noticed that?" the blonde said.

"Come to think of it, I did notice it the day before yesterday. And yesterday," Mimi shared.

"And this morning too," Sora added. The girls shared worried looks at the thought of what might be the reason.

A few minutes later, the brunette came back with a smile on her face.

"Sorry about that. Must be the food."

The girls looked knowingly at each other and Sora started asking her questions.

"Has this happened before Kari? Coz we noticed it lately.. you being in pain."

"Yeah, a few times. But the first time happened probably coz I had a hangover."

"How about this morning? Or just now? I think you should go see a doctor," Mimi suggested.

"You guys.. Don't worry, I'm fine," she laughed. "I'm totally okay now."

"Yeah, but just to make sure. It's hard to get sick nowadays you know," Zoe interjected

"Guys, seriously, I'm fine. It just happened a few days and it'll go away."

"Kari," Sora started. "We still think you should go see a doctor… or do a test. Coz we think you're pregnant."

Her friend's words shot her like electricity that the trembling sensation ran down to her spine and nerves. That was so… ridiculous. It couldn't be possible. That was the last thing that could ever cross her mind because for her, it was plain preposterous.

"What? That's.. that's insane! It's absurd you guys!"

"Why? It's possible Kari. You've been having sex with him god knows how many times," Zoe explained.

"And honey, it only takes once. So I think it's better you make sure."

"No. That can't be possible. I have a job to focus on! I'm twenty three for god's sake! I can't take care of a child!" She rambled on before she could regain control. "You know what, this isn't happening because I don't believe it."

She stood up and excused herself from her friends and went back to her workspace inside the building.

Her friends' opinion scared her in so many ways that it only made her apprehensive. Once she came back to her table, she noticed a ticket on top of piles of paper. She forgot, Tk had a game today and she was supposed to watch it in the VIP area. But she lost all interest now. Now that her friends put all these predictions in her head.

After work, as she walked down the street to hail a cab, she passed by a drug store and for a split of a second, remembered what the girls told her earlier. Was it worth a try? Yes, she knew the answer was yes, but just the thought of it being real was enough to scare her shitless. Things like these weren't the type that could just come and go. They're permanent and they could change your life forever. And she knows she wasn't ready to take a big leap in her life. This kind of situation makes you think you're going from your early twenties to motherhood. She had plans. And she laid them out step by step. But what the hell.

She decided to go inside the drugstore and purchased all the kinds of pregnancy test she could find. She hurriedly put them inside her purse before anyone she knew could see her.

By the time she got home, she hurriedly ran to her bathroom and took all three pregnancy test strips. She took a sample of her urine and waited, her heart thrashing insanely against her ribcage that she couldn't bear it anymore. After the designated waiting time, she checked her results.

Positive.

The little plus sign was marked and she froze in place and tried to take in what she saw. She desperately checked the box, hoping that the plus sign meant congratulations for not being pregnant. But all hopes sank when she read the results.

Tears streamed down her cheeks as she angrily grabbed the other tester and did the same thing. After waiting for the results, the tester showed a smiling face, mockingly saying she was indeed pregnant.

Tears turned into sobbed, as she tried to breathe normally. She couldn't take it. The sounds of her crying was the only thing she could hear for the moment and it made her dizzy. The thoughts of being pregnant suffocated her that it took all of her strength just to stay up standing.

Holding on to the edge of the sink, she looked at the mirror and saw how puffy and red her eyes were.

Every bit of emotion swirled within her – fear, anger, disappointment, regret. It was too soon. She felt coldness and fright, anxiety and sorrow. She couldn't accept the truth. What would this do to her career? To her plans? What would her mom think? What would Tk think? She feared what everybody would think, especially Tk because it wasn't only her life that was on the line, it was his too. And she didn't know if she can do this to him.

Trying to wipe her tears, she gathered all the strength left in her to take that one last pregnancy test, her one last chance to confirm it was all real. She took the test again and waited. This time, the color blue was marked. Confirmed. Affirmative.

Yes, she was carrying a child in her. A human being.

And the thought of it made her knees go weak and her whole body unresponsive. She melted down on the floor, gripped the bathroom door for support and leaned her back against the cabinet. And she cried. Because for the first time in her life, she didn't damn know what to do.

* * *

><p><em>Should've held my ground<em>

_I could've been redeemed_

_For every second chance_

_That changed its mind on me,_

_I should've spoken up_

_I should've proudly claimed_

_That oh my head's to blame_

_For all my hearts mistakes_

It was late, or maybe early for this matter. It was 3 am and she couldn't sleep. She was staring at the Tokyo lights from the balcony in her black cami and short shorts with the chilly night wind brushing against her skin, and yet she couldn't feel anything. When the truth sank into her thought, she didn't know what to feel anymore. She didn't even know how to tell it to Tk, who one way or another is bound to find out. All these thinking and feeling a myriad of emotions was so overwhelming that she just sat there, gazing blankly at anything because it was all to energy-consuming to think and feel.

Consequently, Tk's car just came in the driveway which made her snap from her absence of sensibility. Her heart pounded insanely, afraid to look at him now, let alone tell him what she just discovered.

He slammed the car door and in a while, she heard his footsteps come up the stairs. He was about to walk in his room when he saw her figure, that side of her face that glowed against the moonlight, watching the night with not a hint of interest. Her hazel colored eyes glistening, staring far away into the lights, a picturesque of something so serene and peaceful that he just wanted to look at her just like that. And it made him smile, with only the sight of this beautifully crazy brunette girl, who surprisingly made sparks in his rich, dull life. The touch of madness she brought to his typical ordinary routines gave him something to look forward to everyday. Because there's something in her that made him realize that a little bit of insanity is what keeps the mind and heart at its best.

"Hey," he spoke quietly, walking to where she was. "Why aren't you sleeping?"

"I can't sleep," she answered in a whisper as she turned to face him with a half smile.

"Well I've got good news," he pulled her form her seat and sat down on the couch, placing her on top of his lap. He wrapped his arms around her and intertwined his fingers with her. "We won the game today."

She forced a smile and said "congratulations."

"That's why I cam home late. The guys celebrated at the bar. Sorry for leaving you here alone," he apologized and kissed her neck. It left hot marks on her skin and although she ached to touch him too and feel him against her, she couldn't help but feel guilty.

She tried so hard not to make her voice crack. "That's fine. It's good that you're out having fun."

"Guess what?" he said as he trailed kisses on her bare shoulders. "I was asked to endorse Nike and I immediately said yes. I'm flying to Boston tomorrow."

"Wow," this time, she really sounded surprised. And more guilty. He was showering her with good news that if she'd tell him hers, it'd be like dropping an atomic bomb on the happiest place on earth. "That's amazing! You're such a lucky guy.. and.."

"And?"

"I'm proud of you," she stared at him, at his ocean blue eyes and thought to herself that this man has everything in the world that he could ask for.. and here she was, trying to crush his dreams and everything he built up with a baby. He was almost at the peak of his career, and he could see how happy he was that it tortured her that she was going to be the one to tear it apart.

Guess all those sick little games of revenge backfired. Yes she knew she was at the point of bringing him down, that was the plan but she wasn't prepared to fall in her own trap with him. She didn't want this for her, or him. Not when she knows he's the father of her child, the guy who'd do anything for something that was so important to him, the guy who at some point, made her feel like the luckiest woman alive.

Because that wasn't the plan.

Because she wasn't suppose to fall for him the way she did at this very moment.

How his eyes held her gaze made her lose focus, and her heart never beat wildly as he inched his face closer to hers.

It was crazy. They did it thousand of times but the way he closed the tiniest of space between them made her breathing uneven and her heart thrash fiercely out of control.

And as his lips pressed against hers softly, she knew nobody could ever make her feel completely and undeniably happy the way he did. She kissed him back enthusiastically - with want and need - in a way that such kiss was fueled with remorse, self-condemnation and a guilty conscience.

She wanted this, she wanted him, but the way she brushed her lips against his told her that it was all for the wrong reasons. She knows what she feels.. but does she really?

The only thing she's sure of for now is that this guy she's kissing is the best thing that ever happened to her. From that moment he held her in his embrace, she knew she never wanted to let go. For a long time, she never felt safe and cared for than right now.

His lips moved away from her lips and trailed down to her jaw, neck and shoulders. She held him by his neck as she pulled him back to kiss her lips again.

Now, all thoughts flickered back like a series of flashing images. The time he picked her at the airport, the endless fights and arguments, that Tokyo tour with their parents, the countless times they kissed, the chase with the paparazzi, the afternoon in the meadow, the mornings when she woke up beside him in bed. Everything.

Even if some of them made her hate him to his guts, she never felt such an intense emotion towards anyone else. And those moments made her see that whatever the situation is, he's always there… even in the worst and best of times.

And now that she's having his baby, she couldn't feel more treacherous. Because she knows that this wasn't the right time, that this would make him devastated more than anything.

All the feeling of guilt came flooding back again that it made her pull away from him instantly, and without warning, tears came streaming down her face. Her chest tightened and the pain in the pits of her stomach made her cross her arms against it. She was trying to ease the pain that she inflicted on herself.

"Hey, what's wrong? Are you okay? Did I do something to hurt you?" he asked with much concern, confused of what has driven her to tears.

She hid her face and tried to suck in the sobs and pain in her chest. The confusion she felt right now was too much to bear and she was never the kind of person to break down in front of anybody. Because she suppressed all those emotions inside her so no one can ever hurt her. But the only one trying to cause her pain right now was herself.

"I'm sorry.. It's not you. It's me. I'm just…," she wiped her tears away. "I can't believe I'm crying right now, this is so stupid."

She couldn't look at him in embarrassment, and he didn't make it easy for her by softly tucking her hair behind her ears and tilting up her chin so he could look at her.

"It's just I'm so confused with everything and I couldn't take it anymore.."

"What? What is it?" he asked gently with so much concern etched in his face. He held her face and rubbed his thumb softly against her cheek.

"I need to tell you something." Her heart was hammering so hard and she fought so hard just to breathe because she never said this ever in her entire life and it scared her more than she could even imagine. Her hands were shaking and Tk had to hold it firmly in his with his thumb rubbing her hands so she could relax.

"Relax, I can take it."

She took a deep breath and looked directly in his eyes. Moments like this were the ones that could change one's life and it scared her to even say it out loud.

"Tk, I…"

**Cancercute ©opyright**

* * *

><p><strong>[AUTHOR's NOTE]<strong>

**Date Posted: o5.22.12**

**Cliffhanger! Lol. Yeah, I know this chapter is short. I just had to allot a chapter for this kind of event. So I uploaded this chapter just before my flight to Greece. Yes, I'm gonna see Santorini for my vacation! I'm hoping you send in those reviews and keep on lovin' Tk and Kari. See you on the next chapter!**

**Song: The Mess I Made **by **Parachute**


	12. Words Meet Heartbeat

**CHAPTER XII**

**WORDS MEET HEARTBEAT**

**Previously on Unintentional Affair…**

"_I'm sorry.. It's not you. It's me. I'm just…," she wiped her tears away. "I can't believe I'm crying right now, this is so stupid."_

_She couldn't look at him in embarrassment, and he didn't make it easy for her by softly tucking her hair behind her ears and tilting up her chin so he could look at her._

"_It's just I'm so confused with everything and I couldn't take it anymore.."_

"_What? What is it?" he asked gently with so much concern etched in his face._

"_I need to tell you something." Her heart was hammering so hard and she fought so hard just to breathe because she never said this ever in her entire life and it scared her more than she could even imagine. Her hands were shaking and Tk had to hold it firmly in his with his thumb rubbing her hands so she could relax. _

"_Relax, I can take it."_

_She took a deep breath and looked directly in his eyes. Moments like this were the ones that could change one's life and it scared her to even say it out loud. _

"_Tk, I…"_

* * *

><p><em>Come a little bit closer baby, get it on, get it on<em>

_'Cause tonight is the night when two become one_

She swallowed the lump the formed in her throat. This was it. All pride and self-worth she had got washed away as the words were uttered from her lips.

"I… I think I'm falling in love with you."

A second passed between them with Tk trying to comprehend what she just confessed.. and unknowingly, without him even trying, a smile crept to his face which could possibly be the happiest smile he had ever put on. Her voice entered his head in a jumble of words that it took him a moment to realize to respond.

He wiped her tears away and held her face with his palms. "You're right, I'm the luckiest man alive." He inched his face towards her so their foreheads met, and they closed the space between them, nose to nose. "And you Kari Kamiya, are the best thing that ever happened to me."

Did she hear him right? For the first time ever, he spoke her name. She didn't know if he realized it or not but it was the first time that he uttered her first name. Not babe, or baby, or Kamiya, but Kari Kamiya. She never heard him say her name, since the first time they've known each other, and even if it was stupid and pathetic, she melted at the delightful sound of it and it was enough to make her heart thrash abnormally. They way he said her name, it was beautiful and she couldn't deny that. A lot of people call her Kari but the way it emitted from his lips, he made it sound so damn special.

She didn't even realize that he was know kissing her on the lips, this time, with a whole brand new feeling of love and happiness. She kissed him back more passionately with hunger and an all-consuming sensation. Their lips moved roughly against each other, aggressive like the flamenco yet sweet and sexy like salsa. They kissed like it was their first and last time, cherishing every split second while it lasts.

As they parted for air, their eyes locked with each other. She saw him differently this time, and he saw in her a person he never knew existed, and never knew he could feel this way with. His eyes pierced through her, that look on his soothing cerulean eyes made her feel at home. Because he was home.

She moved to stand up - never letting her fingers slip away from his - and tugged Tk to do the same without ever looking away. She pulled him closer, her eyes watching him and for a moment of peace, they just gazed at each other. The stillness of the night, or at this point at three am, early morning, made the rhythmic sound of their breaths audible. There was never an instance when the two of them were this quiet, but that little while of sharing looks of affection, it spoke volumes of unsaid words and sent a degree of immeasurable desire. Her arms instinctively found their way interlocking his neck. And as she gave in to the impulse of that moment, she tiptoed to reach his ear and whispered, "Make love to me."

Gently, she skimmed her nose down his jaw and slowly untangled her arms from his neck and rested them on his collar, carefully unbuttoning his shirt. The garment dropped down on the floor, exposing his tan six packed abs and tracing it softly with her fingertips. His arms wound around her waist and gently lifted her cami, gliding his hands on her naked torso, feeling the smoothness of her skin which sent tingles to her spine.

After the many times they did this, never have they done it so carefully, so emotionally, and so sincerely. For the first time, they knew what they were doing and they were gonna do it with the passion they thought they never had with each other. And it all felt real.

No words were spoken, only looks of longing and realization were shared. He never did look at her the way he did now as he traced the contours of her face with his fingertips. She felt the heat rise on the traces of his touches and left it cooling down, burning her flesh with mixed sensation.

She watched him gaze down at her and cupped his face, stood with the tip of her toes to reach his lips and kissed it. He did the same to her and pulled her up so he could carry her while she wrapped her legs on his waist. He kissed her excitingly this time, pulling her closer to feel the radiating heat of both their bodies. His kisses were assertive and forceful, and she leveled it with his. He laid her on the wooden table and the fiery movements of their tongues gave them a whole new level of pleasure. Tongues danced and mouths rubbed cruelly against each other, like they never felt love before. He kissed her on the jaw, to her neck, her shoulders and she cherished every little press of his lips on her skin. It was magnificent, and so beautiful that she wanted more.

She reached down to his waist which was locked between her legs and unfastened his belt. Consequently, he kicked of his shoes and let her hands roam his naked back.

This time, he carried her to his room and dropped her on the bed. He unbuttoned her shorts, pulled it down and positioned on top of her. She pecked his lips before looking at him again and pulled him closer by his nape. She could feel him now, more than ever and it only took for this to happen, to realize that she loved him.. and that the last thing she could ever do was try to hurt him.

Chest to chest. Nose to nose. Palms to palms. They never touched each other as purely intimate as this. They could hear each other's fast uneven breathing and her moans were music to his ears. He reached for her fingers and intertwined them with his and then at that precise moment, he realized, he could never make love like this to any woman other than her.

Because tonight, for him, everything mattered. And to her, it was worth all the pain.

* * *

><p><em>I need some love like I never needed love before<em>

_(Wanna make love to ya baby)_

_I had a little love, now I'm back for more_

_(Wanna make love to ya baby)_

_Set your spirit free, it's the only way to be_

She woke up wrapped in his arms again, her back pressed to his chest and her head tucked beneath his neck. His legs were tangled with hers and the warmth of his skin against hers was overwhelming. Despite their nakedness under the blanket, she didn't want to separate from his arms yet. She realized that this time, they made love. Not fucked. Or did sex. But an overwhelming passionate display of affection. ,

She felt him stir beside her and she twisted her torso just to see those pretty blue eyes look at her with all the love he could give.

"Hi," she murmured.

He smiled, "Hi." He kissed her nose and inhaled the intoxicating scent of her hair. "I like seeing you first thing in the morning."

She smiled and kissed his throat. "I don't want you to leave."

"Me neither," he whispered and tightened his hold on her waist, pulling her closer.

They stayed inside each other's embrace silently and it's the most comforting feeling because they knew, no one was letting go. At least that way, she felt some kind of assurance, but she knew it's never really enough. She just wanted to know what he really feels.

When she spotted herself across on the mirror, her eyes widened seeing her hair explode like an atomic bomb.

"Oh shit, my hair," she pouted and tried to fix it.

"It doesn't matter. I like seeing you beside me every morning as much as I love seeing you at bedtime. You're beautiful," he kissed her on the nose again and she laughed. "What time's your flight?" she played her fingers on his bare chest.

"This noon. I better be packing soon."

"How long are you staying there?"

"Five days. It's supposed to be a week, but I asked to shorten it. I don't wanna be away for too long," he confessed with a smirk.

She laughed. "Me too."

Her stomach was in pain again.. and this time she knew why. She was reminded again of the reality that was happening and she hasn't even told him yet. She grimaced at the sudden kick in her stomach and tried to suppress the pain from showing in her expression. But she didn't do a great job with that.

"Are you alright? What's the matter?"

"Uh, nothing," she smiled. "I just realized how boring it would be without you."

He pulled her closer to him in a comforting way and kissed the top of her head. "Don't worry. You're gonna get too occupied with me when I come back," he winked.

Their fingers intertwined that instant and it was the first time she felt so special. She watched him stare at her and wished she knew what he was thinking, but part of her was afraid to know. She couldn't bring herself to be aware of the possibility that she cared more of him than he could ever be with her. What kind of girl would settle for a man who doesn't love her as much as she loved him? Because to her, there's no point in loving somebody who doesn't see you as someone worth the affection, time and effort.

He took her hand and kissed her knuckles. "I don't wanna be away from you."

They stayed like that for a while, enjoying and breathing each other's company.

* * *

><p><em>Silly games that you were playing<em>

_Empty words we both were saying_

_Let's work it out boy, let's work it out boy_

The girls were having their afternoon coffee in the café near Tokyo tower for lack of better things to do but mostly because they were all trying to comfort Kari with her situation.

"How are you holding up?" Sora asked when Kari returned to her seat with a venti raspberry mocha latte.

She groaned in reply, with a frown to match her answer. "Not good."

"Have you told him yet?" asked Zoe who was busy trying to layout the photos of her magazine article.

The brunette sighed, "No."

"Why not?" Zoe asked again.

"Well, I don't know what to say," she reasoned out. "And I just can't walk up to him one day and tell him _'Hey Tk! I'm pregnant. Surprise!'_."

"Of course you can. You'd be like, _'hey Tk. So guess what, I'm pregnant. What a bummer right?'_", Mimi said.

Everyone laughed including the stressed-out-from-worrying Kari. "Sorry for taking your weekend guys. I know Sunday is supposed to be dedicated for sleep… But I just can't be alone right now," she looked at the concern etched in all of the girls' faces. "It just scares me. If I stay home and do nothing, all I think of is this. And everytime I think about it… It doesn't do me good," she sighed.

"Hey, it's fine," Mimi assured. "We're here for you."

Zoe reached for her hands and held it tight. "You're like a sister to us now. And it's gonna turn out fine. All mothers made it through."

"Yeah, but not all of them has Tk for their baby's father," she reasoned sarcastically.

"Why? What's wrong with Tk?" Sora asked.

"Nothing really. It's just, he's doing really great in his career and I don't wanna be the one to mess it up," Kari explained. "I don't wanna be an obstacle."

"Are you still up to that game of yours? Being his girlfriend in front of the camera? Or is there something more?" she asked again.

"I.. I don't know," Kari frowned, deep in thought. "Last night," she hesitated for a moment. "We made love... well, for me we did. I don't know about him."

Mimi's eyebrows arched in confusion. "I thought that's what you always do."

"No. We always fucked. Have sex. We never…," she sighed. "He never said he loved me. And I told him I'm falling for him last night."

The three girls just stared at her, with the looks of compassion, admiration and care.

"Don't think negatively. He's gonna make time for you because you're important to him. I think he loves you," Mimi reassured. "He doesn't realize it yet."

Kari's expression stilled. She just stopped and for a second, stared down her tight Tommy Hilfiger jeans which she can't probably wear in a few months.

_He loves you._

That thought ran through her brain a couple of times before she could whisper mostly to herself, "Yeah, I hope he really does."

* * *

><p><em>Are you as good as I remember baby, get it on, get it on<em>

_'Cause tonight is the night when two become one_

The next four days were boring. She already established a routine – wake up, go to work, home, try to sleep and do everything all over again. But the thing is, she couldn't sleep without him beside her. That's the problem since he left for Boston. She drifts off at almost 3 in the morning because she stays up talking to him on the phone, and when both of them hangs up, she stares at the ceiling, momentarily recalling their conversation, making it impossible for her to ever go unconscious.

She stared at the ceiling, contemplating on things at midnight. How can she think of so much things in the middle of the night after a long day's work? She didn't know. But if it was about Tk, it always kept her wide awake, full of unanswered questions, confused and clueless.

He will be returning tomorrow. This was the last night she'll be sleeping alone in the big cold bed. She's been sleeping in his room, trying to remember how he smells like, how he feels, everything. It helped a little to sleep on his side of the bed.. but then again, it wasn't the same.

Honestly, it scared her. The way she was beginning to feel about him. Or the way she precisely feels about him. It's scary not to know if the intensity of her feelings were similar to his. What she'd give just to know..

And suddenly, she felt a tear run down her cheek. She curled herself into a ball, sideward and she inhaled that Tk smell on the pillow. It was very comforting.

The things Tk was making her feel, especially right now, she didn't know how to deal with them. Her heart aches and swells.. but in a good way when he gazes at her longingly, or when he smiles that carefree smile of his. Her legs melt, unable to stand firmly on the ground everytime he touches her, holds her and caresses her face. She could always hear her heart flutter when he pulls her by the waist or kisses her hair. She couldn't get enough of him.. even if they're fighting or making the most pointless arguments. And she wants that. Everyday. With him.

It's frustrating her, really, that she didn't have any damn clue on how he sees her. If she's just merely this girl who's giving him a good time or if she's something more than that. If only he'd say..

Her phone buzzes from the side table and sees on the screen _Tk calling…_

She gathered herself together and sniffed before pressing answer. "Hi," she greeted with a cracked voice which gave everything away.

"Baby, what's wrong?" he immediately asked with an obvious worried tone on the other line. "Are you crying?"

"No," she whispered.

"Are you alright? What happened?"

"I'm fine," she wiped away her tears and smiled. "I miss you."

"I miss you too," he said softly. "I'm coming home soon."

"I can't wait. I've been sleeping in your bed since you left. And it's cold."

"It's cold here too. You have no idea how much I want you beside me," he confessed.

"Me too.. How's your day?"

"It was great!" she could hear the excitement in his voice. "I met the Bosotn Celtics and had a talk with their manager. They showed me around and we managed to shoot a couple of hoops. It's amazing Kari. I wish you were here."

"That's incredible.." she tried, really tried to sound so happy for him but deep down inside, she knows she's the one who'll tear it all apart. For all she sees in herself was an obstacle - an interference to his career - the stupid girl who tried to appear as his girlfriend so she could get back at him because of their dense foolish arguments. Because she was expecting a baby he never planned to have. Because she just sits there, trying to suck up the guilt and remorse which keeps on surfacing over and over again.

Because she wasn't suppose to fall in love with him in the first place.

And now, it all comes back slapping her on the face.

"Kari? Are you there?" his call snapped her back from her stream of thoughts.

"Uh yeah.. what?"

"You're worrying me. Is there something you're not telling me?"

Her throat instantly felt dry. "I… I'm okay. Really. Don't worry about me."

He sighed in exasperation. She wasn't going to tell him anything, but he knows there's something off.. and he wants to be informed. Softly, he tried to push her into telling him whatever was bothering her because she wasn't her usual self and plainly, it troubles him. "Cut the crap Kari. I want to talk."

That sort of took her aback. "But aren't we talking?"

"Don't be coy. I wanna have a conversation and I want you to tell me things. I know something's distressing you – I can sense it. You change moods unexpectedly, you dismiss any questions I raise when I ask you if you're okay, and I'm not convinced even if you insist that you're fine."

"Tk I…," but words failed her.

"Kari… I don't wanna force you into telling me, but I hope when you're ready, you'd trust me enough to let me know things. I wanna move past everything we've been through. I want more… I don't want to just fool around, or argue everytime with the most useless things or fight about you driving my Lamborghini or the music in my car. I want something serious."

Her eyes widened and she's appalled. She didn't expect him to be straight forward about their relationship and it was all so overwhelming to hear. Because it's what she wants too.

"Are you mad at me? For not telling?"

"No, I'm not. I'm disappointed. But I hope you tell me whatever it is. I don't want to be in the dark. What kind of boyfriend am if I don't know what the hell is going on with my girlfriend?"

"I'll tell you when I'm ready. I promise. I don't want to keep anything from you too.."

"Is it something I should be worried about?"

And obviously, the question was an understatement, and one which she refused to answer. He shouldn't just be worried. He's supposed to go mad and ballistic when he finds out.

A second of silence passed between them and he took her silence as an answer.

"I hope you'd be more open to me. I wanna know what you're thinking. I don't want you slipping through my fingers."

"I won't. And I'll try to be more open.. I did already tell you I love you."

"Yes.. Yes you did."

"Will you tell me something?"

"Anything."

"Was it enough? What I told you.."

"Kari, it's more than enough. I'm very happy you told me. And I'm glad you did. Or else I wouldn't be telling you all these things."

Her heart pounds in the most wonderful way and she smiled. "I want something serious too. I wanna be with you. Everyday. I miss you so much."

"I miss you too, baby. More than you know. Oh, it's my grandmother's birthday next week. I want you to come."

"Of course. And thank you Tk, for being patient with me."

"For you, as long as it takes, baby," he smiled. "But I gotta go now. I'll call you again tomorrow. Go to sleep, my pretty girl."

"Good night, boyfriend. Err, good afternoon?"

He laughed at the thought of how she still could consider the time of day he was in. "I miss your mocking."

"I'm not mocking, dammit," she said softly but playfully.

"And your cussing too."

"I miss everything about you," she admitted. "I miss your kisses."

"You'll have plenty of that when I come home."

"Soon," she whispered.

"Soon," he reassured. "Good night baby."

"Good night, babe."

A quiet pause went by between the two.

"Hang up, Kari," he said.

"No," she whispered.

"You know I'm never gonna leave."

"And I'm not letting go."

"Okay, let's count to three and hang up. Ready? One, two, three." Beeeep.

**Cancercute ©opyright**

* * *

><p><strong>[AUTHOR's NOTE]<strong>

**Date Posted: o7.23.12**

**Sorry for the very late update. And for the obviously short chapter. But I do hope you like it although I feel like it's a bit rushed. I've been busy with school plus, I couldn't get my attention off Fifty Shades of Grey. Those novels really got to me! I still couldn't get over it. I'm so rooting for Matt Bomer to play the role of Christian Grey coz he's perfect! No one could look as impeccably fine as he does in a suit! I'm sorry for my random ranting but I can't help it. The fangirl in me is very ecstatic. I watch this show called Suits, it's basically a lawyer show and the latest episode is just so sad. But anyway, that's all for now. With regards to the fic, don't worry, the next chapter's ready so I'm back on track with my monthly updates. **

**Song: Two Become One** by** The Spice Girls**


	13. Words We Thought We'd Never Say

**CHAPTER XIII**

**WORDS WE THOUGHT WE'D NEVER SAY**

_Since the day that we met girl_

_I've never had anyone make me feel this way_

_And my heart is sure it wants to be with you_

_Wanna give you the whole world_

_If you make the promise to me, you're gonna stay_

_Without you guiding me, I'm lost and so confused_

Kari came down the stairs and noticed that a few luggage were piled in the living room. A smile unconsciously formed in her lips at the thought of his arrival. But before he was anywhere in sight, she noticed an open envelope on the desk with a letter and her curiosity got the better of her. So she took it and unraveled what it was all about. Only to find out that the first two sentences were enough to scare her.

_Greetings! It's been a pleasure to meet you Mr. Takaishi and we, the Boston Celtics, would like to extend our gratitude to you for your visit. With your exemplary skills and outstanding performance during that friendly game, we would like to offer you a spot in the team…_

"Hi baby," Tk startled Kari as he wrapped his arms around her waist from behind. "Surprise." And then he pecked her neck.

"Hi!" she greeted back with genuine surprise and turned around to face him. "I thought you weren't back til this afternoon."

"Turned out the flight was earlier than expected," he pushed her against the wall by her waist and continued pressing butterfly kisses on the corner of her ear down her neck to her collarbone. "So what do you think about the Boston Celtics? I'm pretty amazing, aren't I?" he whispered against his kisses.

"Ass," she managed to say with her strained voice, even though that guilty feeling in the pits of her stomach resurfaces.

"So we're back to the name-calling? Lunatic?" he couldn't help but pull away from her and smirk, amused at how she mocks him again.

She made an arrogant face and pulled him by his shirt and whispered, "I miss you asshole."

They were both smiling and he pecked her lips. "I miss you too pretty girl."

"C'mon," he put his arm on her shoulders and they went up the stairs. "How've you been?"

"Same same," she answered. "It was a long five-day without you. It scares me that I miss you too much." She wrapped her arms around his torso, tucking her hands in the back pocket of his jeans and rested her head on his chest.

"I know," he murmured. "I don't think I'd be happy coming home without you here," he took her chin and kissed her lips softly. She responded eagerly, fast and hard, with so much yearning and longing. He mirrored her pace, slipping his tongue in her mouth, and grabbed her by the thighs, lifting her up so she wrapped her legs around his waist.

They barged into her room which was directly across from where they were standing, and he shoved her on the wall, kissing her fervently on the mouth, neck, shoulders and cleavage. Her breath quickened instantly. "I missed this so much," he whispered.

He carried her to the vanity dresser where he placed her and continued kissing the whole of her. He slipped his hands on her cami, pushing the garmet over her arms and threw it away. She did the same to his polo shirt and ran her hands down his naked torso. He brushed kisses on her cleavage and she threw her head back, feeling the rush of euphoria. As he glided his hands on her thighs, she felt a knot tie in her inside and responded by sliding down the vanity so she was upright pressed to him. She felt his erection stroke her by the waist and it instantaneously turned her on.

"Tk…," she breathed heavily. "Fuck me now."

"As you wish, baby," he pressed himself to her and pulled down her shorts and underwear, pushing her against the vanity dresser and unbuckled his belt and unzipped his pants.

"Faster, please," she whined, lifting her right leg onto his waist.

"Get ready," he said as he pushed himself inside her.

"Ahh," she groaned and heaved, gripping on to him for support as he moved inside her. He balanced her by holding on her thigh and the dresser as he ground himself against her.

"Tk," she moaned, feeling the most sensational touches she missed for the past five days.

"Yes, baby," he responded with a raspy voice.

"Harder please. I missed you," she closed her eyes at the immense feeling of need of his intimacy.

He did as he was told and pushed into her roughly, again and again, in and out, circulating himself inside her as she cried out in her most vigorous of pleasure. She felt the heat, the need burning inside her and the satisfaction left her emitting cries of gratification.

She dug her nails on his shoulder blades and pushed herself into him because nobody could ever make her pleased as he does.

"Turn around," he whispered in her ear, and spun her before she could say anything. In an instant, he grabbed her wet sex and pushed himself inside her from the back, making her cry in surprise.

"Ahh, Tk," she breathed like she was on a race, felt high as she escalated into the peak of satisfaction. He pushed against her, to and fro, like he was made to do it only to her. He kissed her back from her nape, across her shoulders and stopped just above her bra before he unclipped it with his bare hand. He massaged her naked breasts with his left hands, squeezing it and playing with her nipple while his other hand still holding her sex, slid two fingers inside, stroking circular patterns. Her thighs, legs and arms went weak at the immensity of pleasure he gave her while he remained pushing and pulling his sex against her behind.

"Tk! I'm coming!" she screamed and came, limped into his arms with exhaustion and lack of energy.

"Don't give up on me baby," he whispered. "It's my turn. Fuck me with your mouth."

* * *

><p>They both lied on the bed, his arm around her as she cuddled close to him, her legs intertwined with his under the covers.<p>

"How was your flight?" she asked.

"Long and boring," he replied, kissing her forehead. "I'm lucky I have you to go home to."

She beamed. "Like this, everyday."

"Yes, and I wouldn't get enough of it," he smiled and pulled her towards him.

She leaned forward and kissed him, a smile forming her lips as it touched his.

"You taste better since the last time I kissed you in my bedroom," he commented as she pulled back.

"I have a flavor now? That's interesting," she laughed and got down her feet. "Hold on. I need a minute." She took her bra and clipped it on, grabbed her underwear and headed for the bathroom.

"Don't take too long babe." He noticed the magazine which was lying on her bed and opened it to the page where there was a bookmark. And surprisingly the article was about a healthy diet for pregnant women. It confused him, and at the same time made him curious as to why she would read that kind of write-up. She worked on a fashion magazine right? Not a lifestyle one. And what surprised him more was the bookmark – a small crumpled paper with a doctor's prescription.

"So tell me what you did in -," she stepped out of the toilet, already wrapped in a bathrobe and her whole self froze when she saw the piece of paper on his hands. Her bright cheerful face paled and she was cut midsentence with the look on his face.

"Tell me first what this is," he said in a calm yet apprehensive and serious tone. He got up and put on his jeans, trying to control his temper.

"Nothing," her heartbeat raced and did everything to make this conversation seem unimportant. "It's just a doctor's prescription." She came over to him, took the piece of paper and threw it in the trash.

"And it happens to be marking the page of an article for pregnancy diet?"

"Yes, apparently," she shot back avoiding to look at him straightforwardly.

"Why were you reading that?"

"I had nothing else to read," she busied herself by fixing the things on her dresser, especially the boxes of pregnancy test that was loitering around. She hastily threw them in the trash can.

He sighed. She was avoiding the conversation, making it seem insignificant so he could just let it go.

"So why do you look worried?" he asked calmly, coming up to her and grabbed her wrist to make her stay still and pulled her to him. He looked at the trashcan and saw the boxes. "Is this what's been bothering you? Are you pregnant?"

He made it sound so calm, but deep inside, he was extremely apprehensive about her answer. It was nerve-wrecking, the thought of him being a father. Because he never experienced anything more anxious than doing a three-point shot in a two second remaining time in a game. But he put on a composed look just so he wouldn't terrify her. Because he knows how scary this situation is, the fact that his temper alone could send her crying or doing things he'd regret.

She didn't reply to his question nor did she look straight at him, because she knows how badly she handles this kind of situation.. since she's never been engaged into one. She simply looked away, and prayed that this conversation would never have happened.

Pregnant.

That one word scared her shitless. Like she's hanging on the edge of the cliff and there's nothing she can do about it now. Just the thought of it made her cringe because there was something alive forming in her. And she didn't know if she was ready for that. For a child. To be a mom. Because truthfully, she never planned it to be so soon. Her career was her priority. But apparently, the small explicit and undeniably pleasurable x-rated moments in her stay in this place were the ones that made a huge impact.

Now, she was afraid. Afraid of how he might react, how this would affect them both. How he's gonna look at her after this. She could not look at him in the eye because all she felt was how ashamed she was and how much she betrayed him.

And he took the silence as confirmation. "You're pregnant." He let go of his grip on her and stormed towards the small balcony of her room to get some air. He leaned against the open door and rubbed his palms against his face.

She was pregnant. Fucking pregnant! And that's a hell lot to take in. He knows she needs him. Hell, it was his responsibility. But the timing could not have been worse.

Why now? Of all times? He was offered a place in the NBA! The fucking NBA! With the Boston fucking Celtics! And he's gonna have a fuckin child!

"Shit," he murmured to himself. "Dammit Kari!" he spun around to face her, a few feet apart to distance himself from her. "Why the fuck didn't you tell me? And when were you planning to? Shit! Why the fuck now Kari?"

"I didn't think it would matter," she replied calmly, trying to hold herself together before she instantaneously combusts.

"It wouldn't matter? That's our child you're carrying," he exclaimed. "When did this happen? How did you know?"

"The night you came from your game.. before you went to Boston," she couldn't look at him. The guilt she felt was overwhelming.

"The night you told me you love me," he confirmed quietly. "You were supposed to tell me weren't you?" She just nodded. "So why didn't you? Or maybe you just let me believe that you're inlove with me so I can take pity on you when this happens. Is that even my child Kari?"

His assumption and confirmation made her mad. Of all things he could think of, it even occurred to him that she was blackmailing him or this was just a set-up so she can get what she wanted. And the thought of her trying to bring him down from day one occurred.

"Of course it's yours! Do you think I'm a whore? You're the only douche who's been fucking me anyway," she shouted with range. How could he think that? She put aside her pride and self-preservation just to confess to him. "I can't believe you! You think I wanted this? You think I'm trying to set you up? If I did, I wouldn't have brought myself down with you! You still think of me as that crazy bitch who's trying to ruin your life, don't you? I thought we were passed that. I thought what we had that night was real… And I was stupid enough to believe you when you said I was the best thing that ever happened to you."

She was angry. And all her anger were forming into these accusations of him. She was right, he knew. They were passed that whole fighting like cats and dogs. "But now I'm not right? I am obviously the worst thing that happened to you and your career. So I'm sorry! I'm sorry for having your baby! For letting you fuck me all the time!"

He ignored the anger and bitchiness in her tone as she answered him. He didn't want to be mad because he saw she already is. And if he'd let himself be angry at the same time, they'd just go back to square one.

"Can we talk about this calmly?" he proposed, holding his fists in place beside him because for all he knows, he might punch her bedroom wall.

"What do you wanna talk about? I'm pregnant, and you know it. It happened and it's gonna happen. So what else is there to talk about? What we're naming it?"

"Dammit Kari. I'm trying here!"

"Well congratulations for trying! Ugh," she's so irritated that she refused to be in the same room with him, wanting to storm out. She couldn't deal with how he's reacting, of how he thinks he's been the one trying so hard to make their relationship work, putting down the walls and letting her in.

All his accusations, remarks, and fights made her feel like she's not enough for him. Because she already gave him her heart. And yet she felt like it was not enough for him. And if it isn't, maybe she really _is _not enough for him. And the thought hurt her in millions of pieces that she felt her eyes prick and anytime, tears would betray her.

Refusing to see her on the brink of shedding a tear, she turned around and headed towards the door.

"Don't you dare walk out on this conversation," he hurriedly grabbed her on the arm before she could go out the door.

"Is this even a conversation? It seems more like a fight to me," she snapped with sharp razor eyes filled with exasperation. At least she's got a hold on her tears, repressing it for a couple more minutes.

He drew a few breaths before speaking.

"Why do I feel like you're not taking this seriously?" he asks calmly.

"Oh, I'm not taking this seriously?" she laughed in disbelief. "I'm the one who's fucking pregnant here! Do you think this doesn't fucking scare me?"

"Can you stop cussing at me for once? I'm trying to talk things out calmly. But you keep on spitting at my face every time I try to help. With you, it's always my fault."

"Of course it's your fault! You're the one who's always screwing me up! You made me pregnant! You ruined my life! My career! Everything!"

"Well, this wouldn't have happened if you didn't come along in the first place!"

Bull's-eye.

That alone shut her up. Straight to the point. No pause, no nothing. It shot her like one fast bullet.. too fast that she didn't even feel the pain.

"Wait. That came out wrong. I didn't mean to-. I'm sorry. I wasn't thinking," he held her arms.

She looked away and shook her arms from his grasp.

"Please leave," she whispered, holding together her broken voice.. and heart. Her tears were about to fall, and she did her best to hold it in for a minute so he could go. She was supposed to be strong, but it betrayed her. The hurt she felt was stronger than her will to withhold the tears. And it came running down her cheeks.

"Kari, I'm really sorry. It's not what I meant," he tried to tilt her chin up but she snapped her head away.

"I heard what you said. So can you just leave now?" She commanded, her voice quivering. "Please, it's making me sick." There was hostility in the way she spoke and roughly untangled herself from his grip. She wiped her tears and walked towards the balcony.

"Go away, please," she said calmly. He watched her, torn and wretched that he was able to make her cry. And nothing was more painful for him than to think that he was the reason why she's hurting. So he quietly walked out her room and closed the door.

And as she heard the click of the door, she let her tears out. She sobbed endless tears and cries. She sat down the chair and wrapped her arms around her knees, trying to hold herself together. The feeling was so inconsolable and everytime she hears his words at the back of her head, she couldn't help but feel how weak she was and think of how a fool she's been.

If only she didn't let her guard down. If only she distanced herself a little bit more away and not let herself give in. Because she's never felt so vulnerable in her life.

Her sobs continued as she tried to get her phone and dial Sora's number. She placed it by her ear and waited for her voice.

"Hello Kari?" she greeted on the other line.

"Sora…" her voice cracked. She started sobbing again and spoke not a single word because she wouldn't know what to say. She just cried to her, and listened to her friend soothe her on the other side, telling her that it's gonna be okay.

She only called a friend to cry on since apparently, no one could offer her that chance inside this house. The one person she wanted to have as company this moment, she sent away.. because evidently, one can't be mad and in need of the same person all at once.

* * *

><p><em>What will it take to show you I'll be by your side<em>

_Girl I got you and I want to give you what you never had_

_Girl everyday I hope to make you a part of my life_

_Cause you know me and I know you_

_Girl your love is where it's at_

They haven't seen each other the rest of the day since that scene. She didn't come down for lunch and she refused to go out of her room or even talk to him. He apologized behind her door, persuaded her to at least say something, and even tried calling her phone but failed. He waited behind that door for an hour hoping she'd let him in, or say something because he badly wanted to talk it out. Since he knows he just can't make decisions by himself.

But who was he kidding? She obviously has the more suffering and risks to bear between them, and she was probably scared of it too. Who was he to demand time from her, or explanations, or solutions to this whole whirlpool of circumstances?

So he decided to give up. Take time. And wait for her to calm herself down and be ready to talk.

That leaves him staring through the sliding glass doors to the swimming pool and pondering on the turn of events that will unfold in his life. The biggest challenge he was about to face was being a father and staying in the NBA. But that even made him question if he's gonna accept the Celtic's offer to be part of their team with all of this fuss.

One thing's for sure, he can't just leave Kari with all the responsibilities. He has to be there. Part of being a father was not just providing the needs, but the biggest part of it is his presence. Because one of the best things you can have from somebody is their love, time and company. Being there – it's the most valuable thing anyone can ask of a person.

He sighed. Timing was everything. And this time, it couldn't go any more wrong. To be honest, he didn't have one damn clue on how he's going to go about this.

His train of thoughts was interrupted by the sound of the doorbell. He lazily got up and went to the front door. Much to his surprise, his friends rushed inside the house with dvds and a case of beer.

"Hey man," Ken greeted. "You didn't forget it's guys' day today, right?"

"I brought dvd's. Roadtrip, the classic American Pie, Psycho, and I don't know what else I grabbed," Kouji said, dropping the DVD case on the table.

"And beer!" Ryo added excitedly and they all plopped down the couch, turning the television on to the channel Balls. The game between Miami Heat and Dallas Mavericks was on.

"Dude, where's the popcorn?" Kouji asked turning to the blonde with a what-are-you-waiting-for expression.

"Hey guys, I don't think today's a good time," he started to explain. He wasn't really in the mood of having the guys over, or watching porn, or drinking. He was in the middle of something serious and this was just a waste of his time. Clearly, the guys didn't notice that about him.

"What do you mean not a good time?" Ken laughed. "We always have chill day every 1st and 3rd saturday. By the way, dude, congrats on Celtics! Damn, I wish I could get in Miami Heat." He pat Tk's back and went directly to the kitched. "I'll go pop some popcorn!"

"Oh and get a bucket of ice and glass! Forgot to chill the beer," Ryo shouted.

"Yeah man. Congrats on that. It's huge. We're gonna miss you buddy," Kouji faked a crying sound, and then laughed. "So what do you wanna watch? American Pie, boring. Friday the 13th, good creepy sex vibe going on. Sex and the city, ugh, girly shit. The Town, oh nice sexy Blake Lively scene. You guys pick," Kouji said.

"Man, I can't believe Celtics' offering you a spot," Ryo voiced out enthusiastically. "That's huge bro! NBA. Damn."

"You know our bitch," Ken comes up from behind Tk with two huge bowls of popcorn, followed by the maid with a tray of glasses and a bucket of ice. "How'd it go man? How's it in Boston?"

Knowing that the guys already settled in without him even saying anything, he knows that he can't get rid of them now. Might as well join in than be a lame ass party pooper.

He sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. "Move over man, and gimme a bottle of beer." And Kouji handed him one.

"Boston was great. I had the chance to play with Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen, Paul Pierce… and damn they play good. I got to meet their manager too. I even watched the Atlantic division train in Walthalm for their post-season practice."

"Wow that's tight," Ken commented, opening a bottle. "So when's your Nike ad gonna be released?"

"Dunno, probably next week. I was endorsing their new released Air Jordan 2012 and they gave me exactly four pairs of the limited edition ones for free. So I'm giving em to you guys."

"Woah! Thanks man," Kouji was the one who reacted extremely insane. "I heard they're only gonna make 500 pairs of it before they phase it out. That's pure legit limited ed. Can't believe you got us one! If I were a girl, I'd totally kiss you right now bro!"

"You're the bitch Teeks, you're the bitch," Ryo said, praising him playfully.

They all laughed, drank their beers, ate the popcorn while they tell jokes and Tk told them about his trip in Boston. After a while, they focused on the flat screen and watched the Heat and Mavericks play it on.

"Dude I seriously can't believe you! Look at Lebron, he could've passed it to Howard. He was open!" Ryo said out loud gluing his eyes on the screen.

"Chill. Howard couldn't shoot it anyway, Carter was beside him," Kouji pointed to the Maverick's shooting guard.

"I don't get you guys. How can you not be a fan of the Heat?" Ken turned to Kouji and Tk. "They're in the top 10 points per game in the team offensive stat. I recently checked the NBA website and they're number 7."

"So what? Look at them play! Lebron can't even pass the ball to his open teammate," Tk argued.

"Shut up you guys! You're making me miss the game," Ryo interrupted their comments. "Ow! Wade just missed a three-point!"

They continued watching the 3rd and 4th quarter of game until it was done with the Miami Heat gaining victory.

"Okay, that was lame. Go get some more popcorn. What do wanna watch next?" Kouji asked.

"Let's watch this shit," Ryo threw him the Friday the 13th DVD. "And Ken, don't be a lazy ass pussy and go get food."

"And ice! My beer's getting warm," Tk shouted.

Kouji put on the dvd in the player and the movie started running. They concentrated on the film and since it was suspenseful, they get startled everytime the killer appears and they would laugh to their guts about their reactions.

"Dude, you shriek like a girl," Ken mentioned with a disgusting tone to Ryo's reactions.

"Shut up morons. Here comes the good part," Kouji cut in when the sex scene was about to play.

And Tk couldn't help but think how on earth he could've gotten Kari pregnant. He clearly remembers putting on protection everytime they did it. They never had sex when they were drunk, so when has he gone wrong?

His thoughts were far away, recalling if he ever did forget.. and that hit him. It was during their first time - the time when he first kissed her on that awkward moment in the kitchen when they both couldn't sleep, the time she made him look bad with all those journalist in a JBL conference earlier that night, and in the end, when they couldn't get their tongues off each other because they gave in to the moment.

"Fuck," he unconsciously said which made his friends turn to him.

"What's wrong with you man? The sex scene is over, like five minutes ago," a confused Ryo said, and laughed at him like an idiot.

"Ryo, sometimes I think you're on crack," Ken commented on his friend with a look of pity.

"Seriously bro, you were spaced out a while ago," Kouji spoke.

"Nah. That sex scene is creeping me out," he tried to dismiss their attention.

And they all cracked up like potheads. "What? What are you? Five? What kind of man is creeped out by a sex scene?" laughed Ryo.

"Dude, maybe you didn't have enough to drink," said Ken. "Here's another beer."

"Relax Tk," added Kouji. But the blonde's face was dead serious. He just can't deal with all this useless crap right now, so he did what could only calm him down. He reached for the drawer on the side table for a packet of cigarette and took one.

And the guys instantly knew that it was something serious.

"Woah woah woah," Ken grabbed his arm. "It's game season, you know we can't smoke." He took the stick of cigarette from him and threw it away. "And you don't smoke."

"What's going on Teeks?" Kouji asked with curiosity and concern in his face. The guys knew that when Tk grabs a cigarette, it was a serious and humorless situation. It was the one thing that made him cool and collected when all hell breaks loose. They even try to stop him from smoking when he gets too apprehensive or extremely anxious before a championship game. And right now, all hell was breaking loose because they saw how tiresome and worn out his expression was. And it was even more stressing than the look they saw on his face when they lost last season's championship game against the Mizuki Suns.

"So?" Ken motioned him for an explanation as the guys looked at him and waited for him to say something.

"You can't keep that from us you know," Ryo drank his beer.

The blonde rubbed his face with his palms and let out an exasperated sigh. "Kari's pregnant."

And Ryo chocked on his drink. He coughed a few times before he could react like a maniac. "What?"

"No joke?" Kouji asked in confirmation.

"Are you out of your fucking mind?" Ken shouted.

"Wait, is this a good or bad thing? Coz I really don't understand this whole father, parenting, love shit and all," Ryo spoke.

"Ah shut up Ryo," Ken said and turned to the blonde. "What's wrong with you Tk? Do you know how hard it is to have a child? And you just got in the fuckin NBA! Look at me! I'm twenty six, married for two years and I don't even have a child yet!"

"I know that Ken! I didn't plan for this to happen, it just did! And I don't know what the fuck I'm gonna do."

"Guys don't be so hard on him. This probably is a wrong time, but I don't think it's that bad. I mean, you love Kari right? If you do then it shouldn't get in the way of your career. You're always gonna find a way on how to get through it. I'm not saying that it's easy. It's just that you're gonna have to try to keep in place the two things you love so that one wouldn't slip away."

Tk looked at him with gratitude. That's what he needed at the moment. He knew that the reality of it all was just plain surprising that even his friends didn't know how to react, and if some did, it was wildly out of proportion.

"Thanks man. I needed that today."

"Sorry Teeks, the thought of it happening to me… I don't know. I just overreacted," apologized Ken, patting him on the shoulder. The blonde just nodded.

"How's she taking it?" Kouji asked.

"A hell lot worse than me," that's all he said and he refused to say more.

"C'mon guys, you're killing the mood. Tk should relax today," Ryo suddenly said, playing the movie on without realizing that it was even on pause.

Just at the same time, Kari appeared on the foot of the stairs and saw the boys chilling like bosses on the couches with drinks on the table and watching the movie.

"Hi guys," she greeted with a smile.

"Oh, hi Kari," greeted Ryo energetically. "Want a beer?" he extended his arm to lend her a bottle. Ken punched him in the shoulder and muttered. "She's pregnant, dumbass."

"Ugh, no thanks," Kari declined.

"Oh right," Ryo scratched his head and made a witty smile. "Congratulations on your baby. You're gonna be a great mom."

And Kouji kicked him in the knee. "Haven't you heard what we've all been saying?" He just gave Kari a friendly smile and wave.

Her expression was surprised and she was caught off guard. Her smile faded into a half one, making it look like she's gonna frown. But she put it back in place and replied with, "Thanks Ryo."

She saw Tk looking at her, and she looked back. There were no smiles on their faces, only pure stress and hopelessness.

"Hey," he spoke and got off the couch. He went over to her, leaving the guys who continued to curse and blame Ryo for his stupid and inappropriate behavior. "Can we talk?"

He followed her to the kitchen where she searched for something to eat in the kitchen, and settled for a bowl of healthy salad and juice. She took them out and placed them on the counter by the kitchen.

"I ignored you for a few hours and you're already drunk," she said emotionlessly while she settled on the stool and looked at him.

"Yes, we've been drinking but I'm not drunk. I can't. Not today," he took her hand and stroked it with his thumb.

She sighed. "What?" she still sounded hostile.

"Listen. I'm sorry for what I said earlier. I was mad and I wasn't thinking," he apologized. "I wanna talk about this. Coz I don't have a damn clue on how to deal with it. And I can't just make decisions on my own. I need to know what you're thinking."

"You know what I think? I don't like this any more than you do."

"But like you said. It happened and it's gonna happen," he watched her reactions change from hard and straight-faced to soft and sullen. He has never seen her so vulnerable and sensitive before… and it made him want to protect her.

Because it pains to see her so scared and unhappy. He'd never imagined that he'd see her like this. The Kari she knew was strong-willed and feisty, the girl who wouldn't go down without a fight. However, this time it was serious.. and it was real.

She bowed her head and mumbled in a very low voice but audible enough for him to understand, "I'm scared."

He touched her face and he felt a tear cascade down her cheek. He lifted her chin so he can see her face.

"Hey, it's okay. I'm here. I'm not leaving you on this," he wiped the tears on her face and looked at her intensely, eyes filled with conviction and assurance. Although he doesn't have a single clue on what to do, one thing's for sure, he can't lose her. No doubt on that. He was certain that whatever happens, he's not letting go of the one person who changed his life.

He knew it the moment he saw her the first time at the airport.

She made him _feel._

"We'll work this out together. I promise," he assured. "Don't ever leave." He paused as he got lost staring at the beautiful angel in front of him, and slipped out the words he thought he'd never say, "I love you."

_I'm gonna be the love that's gonna last_

_And be the one that got your back_

_Ain't nothing never that bad that we would be together_

_And though we both made our mistakes_

_And some we never wish we made_

_But we'll be okay if we just stay together_

**Cancercute ©opyright**

* * *

><p><strong>[AUTHOR's NOTE]<strong>

**Please review! I hope you like it. **

**Date Posted: o7.30.12**

**Song: ****Together **by** Neyo**


	14. Hit You Hard

**CHAPTER XIV**

**HIT YOU HARD**

_Back in black_

_I hit the sack_

_I've been too long, I'm glad to be back_

_Yes I'm, let loose_

_From the noose_

He hummed the lyrics of ACDC's Back in black as the music blasted from his stereo while he was driving her to the office. He was preoccupied into driving, concentrating on the street and the words of the song as it registered in his head that he didn't even notice her staring at him with an annoyed expression on her face. She instantly lowered the volume to zero, well, in that case, turned the music off which abruptly caught his attention.

"Hey!" he bolted up, looking at her with a what-the-hell look on his face.

"It's noisy! That song is practically destroying my eardrums!" she complained reasonably.

"That song?! That song is one of ACDC's greatest hits! It's classic rock!" he explained to her, clearly explicating his emotional attachment to the song.

"What? Who? ABCD?" she crunched her eyebrows.

"A-C-D-C. I can't believe you don't know them! Have you ever watched Supernatural?"

"That show of two brothers who hunt ghosts, vampires, spirits and other wacko stuff?" she asked and he nodded. "No. It's a freakshow," she said with conviction. "Besides, it scares the living crap outta me."

He laughed at how she'd make terrible remarks of almost all the things he's into. He just watched her there beside him, complain about his atrocious taste of music, tv shows, how she couldn't put other food on the fridge during Saturdays because it's full of beer and all other tiny things she could think of.

"And just this morning, I found the tissue roll empty in the bathroom! You should've changed it with a new one. Don't you know bathroom etiquette?" she looked at him, expecting an answer to the long speech she gave, but instead, he just stared at her with a smirk on his face.

"So?" she asked again.

"Huh? What babe? Sorry, I just lost track of what you've been saying. Your beautiful eyes just burst into flames when you make this long speech of complaint and the way that your lips would purse in irritation. It's cute," he flashed his sexy award-winning grin.

And indeed she pursed her lips in irritation, and maybe restraining herself to smile at the compliment he just said. "Bullshit." She tried to look straight at the cars in front of them, avoiding that smug face.

"What?" his playfully defensive voice was so annoying yet sexy that she hated it. She hated it because it always got to her.

"Stop doing that to me," she crossed her arms on her chest. "That… that thing you do. Whatever it is. It's annoying."

He chuckled and started to tease her. "I bet it turns you on."

"Oh if it turns me on, I would've already been naked five minutes ago," she said sarcastically.

"Oh really?"

"Wanna bet?" she smirked, slowly removing the first two buttons of her blouse.

"Okay, stop. You win," he sighed and parked the car right in front of her office building. "Jesus, Kari. The things you do to me." He ran his fingers through his hair in frustration and the brunette just laughed in victory.

"Relax honey," she teased, patting his shoulders, gliding her touches just below his nape and playing with his hair.

He groaned and rubbed his face with both his palms. "God. Go! You're late for work. I'm gonna die because of you."

She just emitted a triumphant melody of laughter before opening the door and getting out of the car.

"Don't forget to watch later's game alright. I've got the best seats reserved for you so you better not bail on me," he playfully threatened her. "And I've got your friends' tickets covered."

"Sure. I'd like to watch you lose," she joked. And even if she did it condescendingly, the way she always does since day one, he found it adorable and fascinating which made him snicker in amusement.

"I'm sure you'd be disappointed," he shifted the car to drive. "See you later babe!" And she slammed the door shut watching him speed off with an unstoppable grin on her face.

* * *

><p>For what it's worth, he admitted, he liked seeing her on the bleachers, cheering for him, shouting his name, put on that cute worried look on her face whenever the team's score was at a disadvantage. He liked it. Because moments like those – the tension rising in the atmosphere which makes every fan rise up their seats and put on a certain expression without them realizing – make Tk see how she really feels inside. As if the mask she puts on, all that snob appearance and cool demeanor, all of it goes away and shows her authenticity. Because he knows she isn't the type to open up, to talk about what's going on or the sparks that are obviously flowing between them. If she'd ever broken down in front of him, it was once. Just once. And he realized how breakable she was that he couldn't bear seeing the pain in her eyes.<p>

Putting her out there made her seem different than her usual self because she reacts on instinct. No facades. No fraudulence. Just pure Kari, and for once, he'd like to see that from her. They may have uttered a few I-love-you's and demonstrated in countless x-rated performances their love for each other, but they will never be substantially open with it. He could still feel the cold hard cement wall between them.

He thought about how he told her he loved him that cold Saturday night after their fight and if deep down inside, she believed him. Because like her, he couldn't be open about it too. He could never put words together and construct a coherent sentence of how real everything he feels for her. It was crazy actually. He just laughed to himself.

How ever did it happen that one day, a crazy woman waltzed in his house and gave him a life full of crap and for a moment, fell in love?

Boy, he got hit good. Too good.

He stood up and washed his face in the locker room trying to rid of the thoughts and concentrate on the game that was going to happen in a few minutes.

The coach called out to his players and huddled the group in one big circle. "Remember boys, this is finals game 2. We may have won the 1st game but that doesn't mean we're safe. We have to win this season's play-offs. So you all do better than your best out there. Losing is for idiots. And you damn well know you aren't one."

He looked at all his players in the eye one by one. "Sunrisers on three," and they all put their palms on top of each other in the middle. "1, 2, 3 Sunrisers!"

And the announcer called off the team and everybody appeared on court, jogging towards the middle to shake their opponent's hands.

"Ladies and gentleman, the JBL Play-offs Finals, Game Two! The Hitachi Sunrisers vs Hokkaido Sparks! Let the game begin!"

The tallest of both teams motioned to the center, ready for jump ball. The referee blew the whistle and tossed the ball in the air. Both players sprinted up and… it's Sunrisers' ball.

The guy smacked it and Tk got hold of the ball, dribbled it towards their court with speed and shot their first two points. Now, it was the Sparks' turn. The opposing made a couple of shots before the Sunrisers could put their game face on.

After the first quarter which was led by the Sparks, Tk started o feel the heat. It was show time. No beating around the bush, no chill dribbles. They're gonna play offensive because no way in hell was he losing this game.

He hastily drank water like he's never had some before and wiped off the sweat on his forehead and neck. From a far, he noticed Kari watching him and he held her gaze. She smiled an encouraging smile to him and he smiled back. His breathing was incredibly fast and seeing her smile at him didn't help bringing his normal breaths back.

The referee's whistle signaled the start of another quarter. The players were back on the game.

Kouji was dribbling his way towards their ring when Tk shouted open. He got the ball and was about to shoot it when the other team's player smacked it right from his hands.

"Dammit," he cursed as he jogged his way to retrieve the ball.

The Sparks were giving them a hard time to raise their score, having been stuck to 33-28 for the past two minutes. Whenever Tk's team would aim for a shot, the opponent would block it. The Sunrisers were all playing in offense which left some of the Sparks players open and ready to shoot some points.

Now, Ken has the ball and dribbled it to their court. He passed it to Ryo who luckily made a three-point. Sparks steals the ball and made a run for it. Tk was at the opponent's back. He blocked him and tried to snatch it away which he did in success. He now owns the game, dribbles it to their side, running in fast pace when an opponent blocked him. He jerked to the side to avoid him but the opponent fell to his ass making it look like Tk knocked him.

The whistle noised and the referee signaled foul.

"Aw c'mon!" Tk shouted.

This gave the Sparks a free throw which much to their dismay were prefect shots. It was now 50-39.

Second quarter ended with frustration on the Sunriser's faces. "C'mon guys, level it up. We're not losing to these sons of bitches," he spoke out to the team in irritation.

Everyone was hot-headed and it was obvious on the looks on their faces. Their coach devised a strategy and shoved it up to his players' heads. For all it's worth, this was his career. And even if he's still a millionaire, a magazine cover, a renowned basketball player after losing, failure was not an option. Because for him, you don't work your ass off, burn muscles and extract a bull load of sweat for losing. That was his principle. You don't give off everything and receive nothing in return. That's bullshit. Failing for him is a sign of incompetence, not being good enough. And he knows he's better than that.

The game resumed and everyone was back on track. Tk tried to own the game. He stole the ball, did most of the points and raised the score from 39 to 54. Call it a miracle but he was able to make five 3-points by himself. The crowed cheered wildly as Tk was aiming for the ring. Ryo shouted open but the blonde thinks he got a better chance. He charged in even if the opponent was blocking him and shot the ball.

It missed.

It bounced back from the headboard to the hands of the Sparks.

They jogged to the other side of the court and Ryo appeared to his side. "What was that man? I was wide open."

"Yeah, sorry bout that," Tk apologized but did not sound sorry at all. All he could think of was winning. He cannot afford himself to lose.

The Sparks scored a couple of times before Tk could retrieve the ball again. This time he got fiercer and everytime his teammate would call out open, he'd just ignore and shoot the ball himself.

Now, coach called out a time-out. And when Tk approached him, he just yelled at the blonde. "What in hell's name were doing out there boy? Are you an idiot? This ain't a one man show."

"But coach! We're losing! I can still raise up our score high enough to make it difficult for them to catch up!" he reasoned out. Coach looked at the score board and found it on 65-65.

"Look son, you might be the best shooting guard in the team but the others have a better chance of making the points when they're wide open. So you better deflate that ego of yours or help me god I'm not sending you out on the fourth quarter! For god's sake be professional."

Tk locked his jaws and suppressed himself from lashing out.

"Now, go. You have three more minutes before third quarter ends."

Everybody returned back and Tk tried to calm himself down. Kouji patted him on the shoulders and said, "Don't worry man. We're winning this one."

The Sparks scored before Ken could snatch the ball away. He passed it to Tk who threw it to Kouji and they scored another three point. Their other teammate caught the ball and shot another point. By the time the ball fell through the ring, the Sparks caught it. They moved fast towards their court when Tk was able to seize it. He zoomed from the opponent's side towards their court when one of the Sparks hit him by the shoulder causing him to twist his ankle and fall down the ground. He cried in pain when the whistle blew as his teammates helped him up.

From the crowd, Kari jolted up in shock of what was happening.

They called in time-out and the paramedic rushed to the middle of the court. The guys helped him to their benches as he winced in pain. He walked with all his weight shifted on his right foot, trying his best not to move a muscle on his left foot because it hurts like hell. Cramps in the middle of a game was a demonic son of a bitch.

"Fuck! Dammit!" he kept on shouting a string of profanities while the paramedic massaged his ankle and took the situation under his control. The game continued on and Tk was left stuck on the benches for the rest of the game.

"You alright?" coach asked and looked at his left foot. "Sorry son. You might be sitting out on the forth quarter. You better start praying," he said as he saw the scoreboard turn to 78-70 in favor of the Sparks.

Tk punched the bench with his fist in frustration. He wanted to stand up, start pacing but all he could do is run his fingers through his hair and rub his face with his palms in desperation. "Stupid bastards!"

Exasperation was all over his face and Kari could see it from meters away. He noticed her stare at her even at a distance and he saw utter worry in her eyes. She frowned and he just sighed and looked away. This was probably the worst thing that could happen to him. To get sprained in the middle of a losing game! This was an absolute unforgiveable event.

Everything happened in a breeze and now it was the last quarter. He was helplessly sitting there, shouting to his teammates what he thinks they should be doing. And he saw how fiery and raging the game was. Offense to offense and defense to defense. They were playing each other and he couldn't do anything about what was happening inside the court. He saw how his teammates were playing like hungry predators and they were all fighting for the same meat. He looked at the time with panic written all over his face. One minute left and the score was 95-89.

They were in deep shit.

He couldn't take it. He couldn't watch this. With all his anger, he stood up even it pained him to do so. He walked out of the gym, into the locker room and banged the wall.

"ARGH!" he shouted and kicked the door of his locker with his good foot. Finally, he heard the announcer.

"Congratulations Hokkaido Sparks!" And their fans cheered for them.

* * *

><p>She waited inside the gym for him. Minutes ago, she bid goodbye to her friends who were also there to watch the game, and sadly they had to watch the particular game where everything falls apart. But the saddest part of all was to see him get hurt because she cared more than she ever thought she could for a person.<p>

When he emerged through the entrance with a sore ankle, she immediately stood up and rushed to him, burying herself in his chest. "Thank god you're okay."

He was a little bit surprised with her actions but he encircled his arms around her and rested his nose on top of her head, closed his eyes and inhaled the floral scent of her smooth hair. "Yeah, I'm good," he managed to say but winced in pain. "But I can still feel my sore muscles burning."

All the anger he felt during the announcement of winners faded away the instant she tucked herself in his arms.

She untangled herself and snickered, "You're such a baby."

He was dumbfounded by her change in reactions, yet he was amazed how intriguing she could get. He couldn't suppress his laugh, watching her make fun of him again on his worse day. "You happy now? We lost," he pouted.

She actually felt sorry for him but of course she played along. "Truthfully, no. It turns me off seeing you like a washed out puppy," she mirrored his pout and he just looked at her in disbelief, with his breath taken away at how she's so good at ridiculing him that it made him laugh.

"Now c'mon," she snatched the car keys from his fingers. "You're tired and I'm driving."

He laughed. "No, it's fine. I'm driving."

She rolled her eyes and replied with heavy sarcasm. "Alright, alright babe," she held her palms up in defeat yet the keys were still clasped between her fingers. "You're the man. You call the shots."

She was so adorable, he couldn't help it. He snatched her by the waist and pulled her closer to his chest. She tilted her gaze up towards his towering height and whispered, "C'mon babe, let me take care of you."

"Nice try," he smiled. "And I should be the one taking care of you. I'm still driving," he insisted and took the car keys from her. To his surprise, she pinched him on the waist and he outbalanced himself, grimacing in pain, "Ow!"

Luckily, he was able to grip the railings by the benches but his left leg, which had the sore ankle, wobbled.

"Oh my god! I'm so sorry!" she panicked and reached out to him.

"HAHAHA! Gotcha!" He was in that instant in hysterics and stood up straight.

"Hahaha," mocked Kari. "Very funny. Now, let's go and you drive your precious car."

"Damn right. I'm the only one who can drive my baby."

"Yeah, go marry miss Lamborghini," she said sourly.

"What? You jealous of me marrying somebody else?" he teased.

"I didn't mean that!" She got all touchy now on the subject. Yes she was awesome at the whole teasing and fooling around, but sometimes, she gets so stuck with the ideas that they tease each other about. Maybe jokes are half-meant. Maybe she was just scared to turn this whole shebang a serious matter. Maybe she didn't want to take this seriously because… because she wouldn't know what to do if something bad ever happened.

"Geez Kamiya, I'm just kidding."

"Oh so we're on last name basis again?" she arched a perfect eyebrow.

He gazed at her beautiful face, how fierce yet serene she looked. There was something about her that draws him in, and it's not just the late night sex, the long chase, or the feisty attitude. He didn't really know what triggered him to feel this way for her, but one thing's for sure, she grew on him. And if ever he'd find himself, one day, alone in his bed without her in sight, it would be the most miserable thing he'd have to go through. Because she'd already made her mark on him. She touched him, held him and stuck with him like a tattoo.. and if ever it were removed, it'd be the most painful torment he could live with. Worse than a losing game, a terrible sprain or a sore muscle.

He sighed aloud. "C'mere," he pulled her to his side, around his arms and squeezed her under his hold. He stole a kiss on the cheek and murmured to her ear, "I love you."

He just let the words slip, not being cautious or anything, but decided to simply go with the flow and live in the moment.

She paused and turned her head slightly towards his direction by her side, "I love you too," she replied quietly and pressed her lips on the corners of his. Her hands reached down for his and their fingers intertwined.

The warmth both their bodies emitted was irremovable. It felt so good and they wanted to stay there, closely beside each other because it meant them the world. They stood there for a long moment, her head buried in his chest with his arms wrapped around her.

"This feels good," she whispered, inhaling his strong masculine Tk scent and kissed his throat.

"Mm hm."

They came out of the gym and walked tightly side by side to the parking lot, giggling. As soon as they got in the car, he turned on the engine and noticed her staring at him with an unhappy look on her face.

"What?" he asked softly as he reached to touch her face. "What's wrong?" He inched his face closer to hers at the same time he tugged her forward.

"I'm sorry," she mumbled. "I'm sorry for tonight's game." She was telling him the truth, and she rarely did. She never tells him what she really thinks or feels about any situation and it takes a lot of persuasion to do so. But this time, she let it out aloud by her own choice. He was grateful for that.

Instead of letting out a sigh, he smiled. But pure sadness was evident in his eyes. "It's alright."

"I know how much it means to you and I wish… I wish it just ended differently," she spoke with so much sympathy.

"Yeah, I wished so too," he agreed and for a moment, they just stared at each other's eyes while he held her face and stroked her cheeks with his thumb. Her eyes really are beautiful, and his hearts swells with joy at thought of being the only man who could have her.. because it pains him to just simply imagine her with another man who doesn't deserve her, and for a moment there, he wanted to be the one for her – the one she'll need and want. He wanted to be her everything.

"You're beautiful," he whispered, marveling the wonderful beauty before him, stroking her soft, flawless cheek. "Don't leave me, Kari. If you do, it'll be my greatest loss.. worse than any other game I've played."

Her chest was stung, with the most magnificent feeling ever. There he was, confessing his most horrifying fear to her, deliberately. And it shows how much he trusts her with this, to let her know how much she was worth to him… and it made him so vulnerable just doing that. But he still did, he chose to put down the walls because she was worth all the love he could give… and pain he could endure.

She didn't say anything, but only leaned forward and kissed him reassuringly on the lips.

After a little while, they pulled apart and he started driving the way home.

The ride home was mostly subtle and quiet, both of them enveloped in their own thoughts. He stared straight to the road, while she on the other hand gazed outside the windowpane. The silence between them was not in any case awkward. It was peaceful and soothing, which made her realize that if she didn't take this seriously, it would never become real. She know and she feels and somewhere deep down, it's all real. And she wanted it. She wanted this.

Tk's face suddenly turned rigid and she became aware of this when she looked at him. Confused with the sudden change of manner, she asked, "Why?"

He motioned to the rearview mirror and watched the black van following them. "It's the paparazzi."

Consequently, he stepped on the accelerator and speeded off, in dying need to escape the reporters. He can't have this right now because he was beat and tired and he just wanted to go home and rest. With all the news about Kari being pregnant, the game they lost, the stunt in the gym, they all want a juicy little piece of information from every happening in his life. He doesn't want that. And he definitely doesn't want it right now.

He drove faster than Paul Walker ever did in the Fast and the Furious, veering the car in sharp turns just to lose them. Thankfully they were out of the city streets so there was no traffic. To his dismay, the paparazzi were still tailing behind them like a hungry cheetah charging for its prey. For a moment, he thought the gas pedal might break due to the force he exerted pushing the damn thing. He was already going on 80 km/h and they were still there!

The empty street was the one thing that made Tk accelerate the speed. For almost fifteen minutes of zooming away and racing around attempting to get rid of them, it was no use. They managed to catch up, persistent on pestering the blonde with some details they could sell in any media organization.

They were nearing the city when Tk instantaneously swerved to the left in high speed and they were blinded by the brightest white light and deafened by the loudest beep of a horn. On instinct, Tk motioned his arm protectively in front of Kari and all he could think of was _no, not her._

It was all too fast to process that everything turned black and the sound disappeared.

Unconsciousness hit them both hard.

**Cancercute ©opyright**

* * *

><p><strong>[AUTHOR's NOTE]<strong>

**Date Posted: o9.o7.12**

**Hi guys! Send in those reviews and make me happy! Thank you for reading and I hope you like it.**

**Song in the chapter: Back in Black by ACDC**


	15. This Is All I Can Take

**CHAPTER XV**

**THIS IS ALL I CAN TAKE**

_Come closer_

_Breathe deeper_

_Just take it in_

_Make love to_

_Each other_

_Over and over again_

She stirred as she opened her eyes and found herself in an unfamiliar place. The colors were dull greys and whites and everything looked clean but sad. She didn't know where she was or how she got in here. She didn't even remember what happened last night.

As she tried to sit up, she noticed she was wearing a hospital gown and her head suddenly spun like crazy. She touched her forehead and felt a piece of cloth plastered on the right side. At that time, a nurse walked in the room, smiled at her and checked up her current condition.

"Why am I here? What happened?" she interrogated the nurse, confused of the situation that was happening.

"You had a mild concussion, nothing serious though. You're entirely fine but we need you to take some pills for a week to help you ease the pain," she explained to Kari.

"Why? What happened?"

"You got into a car accident. Fortunately, it didn't hit you directly but the car bumped into it pretty hard so.. that's that," she smiled. "Good thing your boyfriend was able to veer the car or else he could've gotten a really horrible injury."

"My boyfriend?" Kari looked at her quizzically before the memory of last night flooded through her brain. "Ohmygod Tk!" She jolted up and pushed her blanket away. "Where is he? Is he okay?"

She scrambled to get on her two feet and steady herself, reaching for the door.

"Ma'am please, stay in bed for a while. It's not healthy to panic," the nurse persuaded.

Kari shot her a sharp glare. "You said I'm okay, right? That I'm perfectly fine?"

"Yes, but it's sti—"

"Then I'm fine," she ended the conversation and stormed out the room, trying to find where Tk was charged in.

Along the hallway, she bumped into Ryo and Kouji who were sitting and taking their afternoon coffee.

"Thank god you guys are here," she said in a hurry. "Where's Tk?"

"Kari, shouldn't you be in bed?" asked Kouji with concern.

"I'm okay. Don't worry. Where is he?"

Both the guys exchanged worried looks and it took a moment before Ryo could answer her question. "He's in the emergency room."

She rushed towards the emergency room without saying anything more to the blonde's two friends. She noticed the unconscious Tk inside the room through the wide glass windows and it was unimaginable how wretched she felt, like her chest was being poked with knives and daggers.

She went inside the room and took a seat beside his bed. He had all these tubes attached to him because god knows how long he's been unconscious. She just took his hands and held it, entwined her fingers with his. Slowly and carefully, she brought his hand to her cheeks and rested it there. She'd give anything to see those deep blue eyes and how it always looked at her with such intense emotion, anything to see him gaze at her. Because for what it's worth, he made her feel loved.

After a while, he stirred and his eyes opened groggily, confused about his current state.

"Oh Tk," she held his hand and kissed his knuckles, without ever leaving her gaze from him. Uncontrollably, she let her tears fall down.

"Hey baby," he said weakly. "No, don't. Don't cry baby. I'm here."

"You scared me," she sniffed and sobbed.

"What happened?" he asked.

"We got into a car accident," she explained. His eyebrows creased and a frown formed on his face.

"Baby, I'm so sorry. Are you okay? Is the baby fine?"

"I'm okay, and so is the baby," she sniffed. "I was so scared. I thought I lost you."

"C'mere," he tapped the side of the bed. "Lie down with me."

"But it's your bed, and you have to be comfortable," she reasoned.

"I'd be more comfortable if you lie down with me. Please Kari," The look in his eyes pleaded and she just couldn't resist, especially seeing him like this.

"Okay," she whispered and kicked off her flip flops. She climbed on his bed and cuddled next to him.

"Hmm," he kissed her hair, inhaling her sweet Kari scent that always drives him crazy.

She rested her head under his neck and placed her arm across his belly, which made him wince in pain. "Oh, I'm sorry," she apologized.

"It's okay," he caressed her beautiful silky hair.

"No, it's not," she frowned. "The nurse said you have a broke rib… And you can't play for a week."

He stiffened beside her before he managed to say, "Shit." And sighed in defeat.

"Please do what they tell you," she whispered in a very worried tone. "I don't wanna lose you." She just stayed there, her head under his chin and her hand on his chest, spilling her guts out to this man she loved without even looking at him, because he'd see how wrecked she is just at the thought of losing him. And she didn't want him to know how much she worries.

"Don't leave me Tk," she murmured as a tear cascade down her cheek and he felt it on the base of his throat.

"Don't cry Kari," he soothed and brought his index finger to her chin and tilted it up with a little less painful effort to see her face. "I'm not going anywhere."

He bent down and kissed her softly on her plump lips. "Your lips are soft when you cry."

* * *

><p>Three days already passed after the accident and because she was so paranoid and scared, she wanted to visit the doctor and see how her baby was doing. He was supposed to pick her up from work a little after lunchtime that day so she waited in the lounge. She already texted him that she took the rest of the afternoon off and she was waiting for him. In spite of that, it took almost an hour of waiting before she lost her patience. He still wasn't there nor did she receive any text message from him saying he'd be late or there's traffic or something came up. He should have at least let her know but he didn't and it pissed her off. Not a single reply since her first text and she got tired of waiting. So she took off to hail a cab and went to see the doctor herself. They were supposed to do this together but she guessed he decided to bail.<p>

Once she entered the doctor's clinic, he welcomed her warmly and let her sit on the chair across him.

"Miss Kamiya," he extended his hands. "How are you doing?"

"I'm doing good, thank you."

"Any journalists or reporters doing articles on your pregnancy yet?" he asked just to create a conversation. "Or are the paparazzi just pestering you for information?"

"Ugh, the paparazzi, they're everywhere. I hate it. And sadly, I've already gotten thousands of journalists asking for an interview ever since the accident. I've been declining them coz I don't think im ready to face the public yet. So mostly, it's the paparazzi who's giving me a hard time."

"Well at least you're doing well on keeping the baby in good shape. Judging from your bodily posture, I believe that you've been doing a good job on preparing to be a mom."

She laughed. "Thanks, doc."

He asked her the basic questions afterwards, how she was doing and if in any case, she felt something new or different with the behavior of the baby or anything at all for that matter.

"I'm still nauseous and the accident only made it worse. I feel dizzy a lot of times in the day but I'm getting a good appetite now, better than before," she shared.

He motioned her to the weighing scale and took the measurement.

"Have you felt the baby kick yet?" he asked.

"No, not yet."

He asked her to sit on the bed so he could check how the baby was doing. He moved his stethoscope against her protruding belly and listened. Then he looked into the baby's condition using an ultra sound and after a while delivered his findings and advice to Kari.

"So you're now in your fourth month of pregnancy and I should say, you're doing pretty well for a first timer," he smiled. "In this stage, you should have a healthy appetite for proper fetal growth and expect stomach heartburn problems. To avoid this, avoid large meals. Eat smaller frequent meals. Drink plenty of water; no spicy, greasy or fatty food; don't eat before lying on bed; no alcohol or caffeine so avoid coffee. Extra pillows in bed will help and OTC medications if the heartburns don't reduce."

She nodded in understanding and ushered for him to continue.

"Uhm, you gained eleven pounds, which is a good thing for now. Don't forget to exercise and you will most probably feel the baby kick next month."

"Okay, thank you very much doc."

"My pleasure. Take care of yourself Miss Kamiya."

As she left the clinic, she dialed Tk's number but it only kept ringing – failing to hear a response from the other line. She assumed that his press conference was starting. She hadn't heard from him since that morning, but if all goes well, they'll be having a dinner date in a restaurant after his pres con. They were going to have dinner in Omakase, an expensive Japanese cuisine restaurant where they would be seen formally dating by the public. She looked forward to it, anxious really because she isn't versed in being the center of attention, or the kind of person people would want to talk about, let alone be interested with what's going in her life. She was the one who brings the attention to these people because she's part of the media. Her profession is a fashion magazine editor and that's what she's supposed to do - make people superstars. She's supposed to be writing about people and fashion, not be the one who's being written about.

It did make her feel nervous, but excited at some angle. It was a first.

* * *

><p>The conference room in the Tokyo International Forum was packed of people – from reporters, journalists, basketball enthusiasts, rabid fans, and even politicians. On the stage was a long table and seats which were occupied the Hitachi Sunrisers' team. The couch, team manager, team captain, and some of the players were there, ready to start answering the media's thousands of questions. Journalists asked almost each and every one in the team for their opinion on the loss of the second game and how they felt about it. The team manager spoke for them when he answered that it was something they did not see coming because he made sure that the players were practically beaten down during their training.<p>

"I was dismayed about the results," he added. "I made sure that these guys had the proper training, excellent health condition and mental preparation. I asked professionals – doctors, psychologists, health instructors – every professional that I had contact with. Losing was not something I saw coming."

"How did you find the Hokkaido Sparks as opponents during the game?" one of the journalists asked.

They all looked at each other and Kouji spoke first. "I think that they were a pretty tough match. During our first game, they didn't make it easy for us, but this time, they made it extra-stressful. It was already obvious during the 1st quarter that we found it difficult to score points. To tell you the truth, I didn't really get the game. I couldn't understand how they were playing it, what their plan was, or how they managed to execute them. Every quarter was different. There were no patterns."

"I have to add something to that," Tk broke in after Kouji's response. "The Sparks played like angry bulls. They were playing as the offensive and I mean it figuratively and literally. When I got hit with Kazuki's shoulders and fell down on cramps, that was bad. Really bad. They charged like angry rhinoceros! And I probably shouldn't be saying this but when I was called on a foul, Shibayama made it look legit. He purposely made himself fall on the ground and made it look like I did it. That guy's an award-winning actor!"

Some of the team laughed at his comment.

"Did that tick you off?" asked the same journalist.

"Oh yeah it ticked me off. But what can I do? I should ignore it. Basketball's not One Tree Hill," he joked and almost everyone in the room laughed.

"So how are you planning to prepare yourselves for the final game?" one journalist from the Tokyo Bulletin interrogated.

Their coach answered the question. "We're gonna imply intensive training and I'm gonna damn well put in these boy's heads that if they don't win, I'm leaving them," he joked the last part. He was the team's coach for fifteen years, the same coach Tk saw on TV every JBL Season when he was still in high school.

Each of the players had their own share of personal questions which were most probably asked for entertainment's sake. If it wasn't related to basketball or the game, it was relevant to them as basketball players, public figures, endorsers, philanthropists and other occupations they hold. Some asked Kouji about his projects on supporting the kids in Africa, his dealership on Rolex and other plans he had. Ryo was also interviewed about being featured in a song of one of the country's famous singer, his endorsement on Armani Exchange and lately, co-starring in one of an up-coming films about a teenage boy's dreams of becoming an aspiring athlete. On the other hand, Ken was interrogated on his two-year marriage with his tv personality wife Miyako, his growing business of a new sports brand and his long-term commercials with Gatorade.

Finally, Tk had his turn on the limelight and was asked questions which, some, he was not prepared answering.

"Mr. Takaishi, you recently visited America for a Nike endorsement, can you tell us about it?"

"Okay. I was in Boston for three days doing photoshoots with Nike and the people I worked with were amazing. It's a worldwide advertisement and the commercial will be out soon. I think they already had the billboards put up in the States and they're gonna be putting up some all over here in Japan."

"We heard that while you were there, you had a chance to play with the Boston Celtics. Is that true?"

"Yes, it's true. I was checking out their training with my personal manager and their coach recognized me. I was able to play with them, and chat for a whole afternoon. The players were really good and I learned a lot from them. They showed me a few tricks here and there. It was pretty cool."

"There are also rumors going on about the Celtics recruiting you as a team member. Would you like to tell us something about that?"

"Well yeah, I received a letter from them when I got back, formally offering me a spot in their team. At first I was stunned to even think that they'd want me in the team. They said I played excellently during our friendly game and they wanted someone like me. It's actually great.. it's an honor to be invited in the NBA."

"By any chance, are you considering accepting this offer?"

"Uhm, truthfully, I haven't decided on it yet. There's a lot going on lately but I do want it. I want to play in the NBA, be a part of the team because that would really be an improvement in my career. I thought of how it's a huge advantage for me but I'm not sure I'm ready to leave the Sunrisers yet. And another thing, my girlfriend and I are expecting a baby in a few months so it all depends. Everything's kinda going on all at the same time."

"Could you tell us about your relationship with Ms. Kari Kamiya?"

He laughed and smiled before he could make a coherent response. "Well.. Kari.. she's.. She's a great person. She's an editor in Vogue and our parents are actually friends, that's how we kinda met. She's really an interesting person and a lot of fun to be around with. We kind of have this comedic relationship and we used to fight a lot when we first met. She's a very challenging girlfriend, and I love that about her," he said with a light laugh.

"Thank you very much," smiled the journalist.

A few more hours of interrogation until they were done. The boys talked each other into chilling in the bar for the night and they all agreed to go. They drove all the way to the district where bars and restaurants lined up side by side and decided to stay in a bar called Candy Shop.

They came in, took a VIP lounge and started ordering dinner and a few beers. Time passed by so fast as they joked, laughed, and talked about random things going on in their lives. But as Tk consumed what he thinks is his fifth beer, he couldn't help but spill his guts to his teammates.

"Shit guys, I don't know what to do. This whole Kari and the baby thing plus the NBA.. fuck," he spoke out, staring nobody in the eye but the bottles of beer on the table.

"Dude, think it through. Nobody's rushing you into this," explained Kouji. "Talk to her and ask her what she feels about this."

"I'm pretty sure you'll resolve something. Ask her if she wants to go with you to Boston," Ryo suggested.

"Kari? I don't think she'll leave Vogue. That woman's head on to her career," the blonde said.

"Well, I see you both have something in common," commented Ken in the conversation.

The night passed on with stories and problems shared, and drinks bottled down to their core. Deep down inside, as much as he loved her, he didn't want to let go of basketball. It was there even before she came along, and yet when she did, everything became better. Something special added, and it felt good. Now he's torn between the two and he didn't have a clue on how to go about the situation.

Feeling more than a little bit woozy, he stepped out of the bar for some fresh air and lit a cigarette. Because times like these, to be torn between two things he love, the stakes were never been this high. If he chooses Boston, he didn't know how long he'll be gone, how long he'll leave her, and with the baby coming… he never thought his life would go fast forward this soon.

If he chooses to stay, he looses the chance to play in the NBA. And it was more than he could ever dream of. The things it will do to his career, his achievements.. it was his life. To miss that kind of opportunity was preposterous.

"Oh what do you know, it's Takaishi," one of the men in a group by the tables said. Tk turned to see who it was and found the guys of the Hokkaido Sparks who beated them in their latest game. "So how does it feel to be a loser?" the man taunted.

He ignored the provocative comments and tried to suppress his irritation. This was the guy who tried to foul him every now and then during the last game. He was already mad at himself for playing stupidly, being called out of court by the fourth quarter, and doing all kinds of failure then. It didn't help him when this dude rub it in front of his face.

"Must've sucked that you couldn't lift a finger from all the fouls you made," his companions laughed along with him.

"Do you have problems with me asshole?" He snapped at the guy before tossing away his cigarette.

"No, none at all, loser," he snickered. "I just like to see that little bitch look on your face. Speaking of, how's your little bitch taking it when she knew you got into Celtics? You know dude, I can always take care of her while your gone. So no worries about that," he laughed.

Tk, with his patience snapped, walked over to their table and launched a fist towards the guy. "Don't you fucking dare talk about her like that."

The guy instantly stood up and pushed Tk, throwing him punches and the scene got ugly.

It was a while before Kouji and the other guys noticed the fight outside and rushed to help Tk.

* * *

><p>It was six o'clock when she started cooking dinner and it took her two hours before everything came into place. The pressure cooker just rung, signaling that the roast chicken was ready to be served. She placed it on the center of the table, along with the fresh garden salad, the creamy fettuccini pasta and garlic bread, a bowl of fruits, preferably grapes and strawberries because she knew it was his favorite. A bottle of Chardonnay and two wine glasses were readied and to top it all, a candle light. She wasn't classy, she admitted, but when she'd do something like this, it had to be more than just special.<p>

If she'd estimated the time right, he'd be home by eight thirty, approximately thirty minutes from when she'd finished preparing dinner and changed into more appropriate clothes. She stared at herself in the mirror, pinning back her mid-length caramel colored hair into a bun and leaving several strands of hair to frame her pretty glowing face. She donned a scarlet off shoulder blouse and skinny jeans and put on her pair of nude pumps.

Picking up her phone, she dialed his number and waited for him to pick up. Her smiled quickly faded when she was Unfortunately directed to his voicemail. So she left him a message, _hi baby, how was the conference? Tell me you're on your way home. I missed you. And uh.. see you tonight._

She waited by the dining table until eight thirty and when he still didn't show up, he called him again. No luck, it went to his voicemail. With her effort in trying to die down her impatience, she arranged the utensils, cleaned the counter, tidied up the scattered magazines in the living room table, neatly placed the throw pillows and everything else she could put her hands on and only killed fifteen minutes. Then she started pacing back and forth, worried why it was taking him so long. She knew he'd come immediately after that conference because earlier that day, she reminded him to reserve the night for her. He couldn't have forgotten. He shouldn't.

She went back to sitting by the dinner table and noticed how the chicken was cooling off so she tried to keep it in the oven first. An hour already passed and she'd probably have left him six million messages and he wasn't still answering. As the time flew by, she kept going closer and closer to the door until she sat on the living room couch, hoping and waiting.

She waited and waited and waited, staring at the door hoping for him to show up any minute now.. or when he didn't, she'd constantly look outside the window for any signs of headlights in the garage. And when her expectations weren't met, she felt a jab of pain in her chest. It didn't just feel like a stab, something you feel at a fleeting moment before you die… but it felt more like being pierced by a knife several times when you'd actually feel and realize that you're being hurt, more than just once. As if the purpose was not to kill you, but to make you suffer and endure the pain long enough because the realization of having a person intentionally hurt you is more painful than just actually feeling the pain.

Looking over the dining table, she noticed how the tall candle stick has already melted to almost only an inch tall. So much for the effort.

She tried to dial Tk's number again, and pressed her phone by her ear. Still for the umpteenth time, he didn't answer and she finally gave up, putting away her phone and looked outside the rainy night. To say that a frown was on her face was an understatement. Because she felt more than sad, she felt rejected, forgotten and unimportant. And she already let him know how much he means to her. If that's really how he treats her, how he values her, then maybe… Maybe she's truly not enough for him. That thought alone made her eye jerk a tear and cascade down her smooth rosy cheek, which was made-up beautifully for the evening. To waste the effort she made to look beautiful tonight hurt her.

Because the thought of being stood up… was heartbreaking. Without so much of a word, you'd just be left like that. No closure, no nothing.

It was almost eleven, and she gave up. She was about to put away the food, when she saw headlights in the garage. She waited for him to swing through the front door but what came in surprised her.

She saw Tk, drunk and disarrayed, being assisted by Kouji to the living room.

Kouji looked at Kari, and passed her to the well-prepared dining table, and looked back at her with a look of apology. She gave him a half-hearted smile.

"It's alright," she waved aside the feeling of sadness flooding back and moved to help Kouji carry Tk upstairs to his bedroom. "What happened?"

"Got into a fist fight with one of the Sparks," he explained. "Something about trash-talking you and giving the guy a kick in the balls."

She sighed heavily. "He's not hurt, isn't he?"

"Nah, just a few bruises. Don't worry, he can take a few wounds," smiled Kouji as they put him both on the bed.

As Tk laid down on his bed, he rolled to his left side and unconsciously patted the bed in search of something. "Kari…"

"I think he's looking for you now," says Kouji. "Sorry for keeping him. I'll go now, and I'll lock the door on my way out."

"Okay, thank you," Kari bid as she walked him out the bedroom door and closed it. She watched the sleeping Tk for a while, not knowing what to feel about this situation. Was she ready for this? Or more importantly, was he? A child was coming, and he was in the middle of his career. Yet, he comes home drunk and abandoned his pregnant girlfriend to a beautiful dinner.

She gathered herself together and grabbed her bathrobe. She took off her clothes, washed her face and finally climbed in the bed on her lingerie.

She stared outside the window, with her back against Tk, and suddenly, she felt his arms around her waist pulling her closer. He smelled a mixture of alcohol and that Tk smell she loved. The warmth of his embrace was what she had been missing throughout the evening as she waited for him. And thinking about that again made a tear trickle down her cheek.

"_What if I can't do this?" _was the last thought in her head before she closed her eyes.

_If it's all I can take_

_I'll remember it all,_

_Remember it all_

_If it's all I can take_

_I'll remember it all,_

_Remember it all_

**©opyright**

* * *

><p><strong>[AUTHOR's NOTE]<strong>

**Date Posted: o4.21.13**

**Wow! It's been so long. Thanks for reading chapter 15 and I hope you leave a review. **

**Song: Remember by Kari Kimmel**


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